
- Professional people love a reason to be unprofessional. People with MBA’s and PhD’s who work in environs where we have to behave, well, professionally, surrounded me. Between yelling at the refs for blown calls, doing the “K – S –U – Wildcats!” cheer and adding our voices to the volume when the opposing offense was on the field, by the time the game was over we were hoarse. Had we more room, we would have been doing pushups with Willie Wildcat every time K-State scored.
- There is an innate desire for fairness in every human being. “Hey ref, call it the same on both ends!” is often shouted at games because we have a desire for fairness, or justice. Admit it; we all like “make-up calls,” when the refs blow it for us, then turn around and blow it for the other team.
- Bullies will find any opportunity to bully. After the game was over, we got caught in a seething mass of people trying to exit. If you don’t like your personal space invaded; stay home. As we were moving at an amoeba-like pace, some young guy behind me started pushing his way through. I felt sorry for his girlfriend who seemed embarrassed.
- One person can make a difference. Coach Bill Snyder is, perhaps, the classiest coach in college football. While he is an expert with X’s and 0’s, people close to him say he’s most concerned about developing the young people he coaches. He knows that college sports are short term, but work ethic, character, and core values are more important that stats. That might be why he wins.
- People need community. I would almost go up just for the tailgate parties, which are thousands of little communities engulfed in one big community. My wife and I decided that if we couldn’t find our friends, Chris and Allison Locke’s tailgate party, all we had to do was wander around and someone would invite us in- that’s Kansas State!
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