Husky4Life
ibleedblue
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Born and raised in Connecticut...Long-time basketball fan...Attended UConn...It was only natural.
how you became a fan?
- Thread starter svetbird
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UConnCat
Wise Woman
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I have no connection to Connecticut. I grew up in NJ (attended quite a few RU games growing up) and always loved basketball. I grew up a Tarheel fan on the men's side (my uncle went to law school in Chapel Hill and when home on break one year told me about this kid named Charlie Scott; I was hooked). When I was growing up, the ACC games were regularly televised in the NYC area because of the connection with coaches and players from NYC. I loved the way UNC played the game. Eventually (in the '90s) I started looking for a women's team to follow and I knew immediately that Tennessee was not the team for me. I didn't enjoy their style of play, nor did I find their head coach to be particularly interesting. I started reading about UConn and their charismatic head coach and started following the team. As with the Tarheels, I fell in love with UConn's style of play. I was hooked. I then started following the UConn men and would now favor them in a match-up with the Tarheels!
Kibitzer
Sky Soldier
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I, and my wife, have taken a most circuitous route to UConn fandom and the Boneyard.
Started with me as a kid playing bb on the schoolyards in Pittsburgh, and one occasional teammate or opponent was Chuck Cooper, later an AA at Duquesne and the first Black ever drafted in the NBA by, of course, the Boston Celtics.
That stimulated my interest in the Celtics. Meanwhile, tpward the end of my 20-year military career, I wound up in Massachusetts so I was able to watch the greatest sports dynasty ever, the Russell-Auerbach era Celtics. I was mesmerized by their incomparable commitment to winning.
Then, post-retirement, I went to work in Saudi Arabia, where I met my wife (Canadian RN, working in the King Faisal Hospital). When our contracts were concluded, I came to Connecticut and she went home to Toronto. Commuting was such a pain so we married (Geez, 36+ years ago!) and have since lived happily everafter in Norwalk.
I was constantly searching for some replica of those old Celtics and Voila!, along came Rebecca and Jen and Geno, and we we became fans. Once Sue and Diana arrived, we were not only hooked, but have since journeyed to California, Washington, Virgin Islands, and even such exotic venues as Worcester MA, Rahway NJ, and Columbia SC to watch this wonderful team that is so reminscent of those old Celtics (Auerbach-Auriemma, Russ-Diana, Sue-Cooz, Maya-Bird, Jen-Sam, Shea-Hondo, Renee-KC, Svet-Heinsohn, Kaleena-Cowens, and on and on and on).
So it took me a long time to get here and over the past 17 years I have witnessed some magnificent basketball and become associated with many like-minded Boneyarders, some of whom are among the finest people I have ever known.
I have been blessed and I am grateful -- beyond category!
Started with me as a kid playing bb on the schoolyards in Pittsburgh, and one occasional teammate or opponent was Chuck Cooper, later an AA at Duquesne and the first Black ever drafted in the NBA by, of course, the Boston Celtics.
That stimulated my interest in the Celtics. Meanwhile, tpward the end of my 20-year military career, I wound up in Massachusetts so I was able to watch the greatest sports dynasty ever, the Russell-Auerbach era Celtics. I was mesmerized by their incomparable commitment to winning.
Then, post-retirement, I went to work in Saudi Arabia, where I met my wife (Canadian RN, working in the King Faisal Hospital). When our contracts were concluded, I came to Connecticut and she went home to Toronto. Commuting was such a pain so we married (Geez, 36+ years ago!) and have since lived happily everafter in Norwalk.
I was constantly searching for some replica of those old Celtics and Voila!, along came Rebecca and Jen and Geno, and we we became fans. Once Sue and Diana arrived, we were not only hooked, but have since journeyed to California, Washington, Virgin Islands, and even such exotic venues as Worcester MA, Rahway NJ, and Columbia SC to watch this wonderful team that is so reminscent of those old Celtics (Auerbach-Auriemma, Russ-Diana, Sue-Cooz, Maya-Bird, Jen-Sam, Shea-Hondo, Renee-KC, Svet-Heinsohn, Kaleena-Cowens, and on and on and on).
So it took me a long time to get here and over the past 17 years I have witnessed some magnificent basketball and become associated with many like-minded Boneyarders, some of whom are among the finest people I have ever known.
I have been blessed and I am grateful -- beyond category!
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Born and raised in Western CT. Started seeing front sports page stuff in the local paper about a girl named Jen Rizzoti at New Fairfield High School. Apparently she was a pretty good basketball player 
When I heard she was going to Uconn I kept watching and I've been hooked ever since.
When I heard she was going to Uconn I kept watching and I've been hooked ever since.
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Never watched basketball growing up, at any level, at all.
My mom got remarried in 1980. My stepfather was a fan of the UCONN men's team, which he liked to watch on TV, so I saw a few games that way. Thought it was kind of interesting.
In 1994, my sister, who is overall a HUGE sports fan, made me watch a UCONN women's game on CPTV. I liked it. The next year, when there were even more games on TV, I watched them. I loved them, and the team, and the coaches, and their whole approach to what they were doing.
What I remember most, though, about those early days, is not the games I saw on TV, but the games we listened to on the radio. I especially remember having the games on the car radio, pulling into a gas station, & having other customers asking me, "Do you have the game on? How are the women doing? Did you hear that play Lobo made?" etc. The excitement surrounding the team during the mid-90's was so catching! Made me want to be a part of it, and I have been, ever since.
My mom got remarried in 1980. My stepfather was a fan of the UCONN men's team, which he liked to watch on TV, so I saw a few games that way. Thought it was kind of interesting.
In 1994, my sister, who is overall a HUGE sports fan, made me watch a UCONN women's game on CPTV. I liked it. The next year, when there were even more games on TV, I watched them. I loved them, and the team, and the coaches, and their whole approach to what they were doing.
What I remember most, though, about those early days, is not the games I saw on TV, but the games we listened to on the radio. I especially remember having the games on the car radio, pulling into a gas station, & having other customers asking me, "Do you have the game on? How are the women doing? Did you hear that play Lobo made?" etc. The excitement surrounding the team during the mid-90's was so catching! Made me want to be a part of it, and I have been, ever since.
When I worked at UConn, we often employed part-time student help. In '93 or '94 one of the kids working with us had a severe crush on Pam Weber. He kept talking about how gorgeous she was, and that she was on the basketball team.
So one day, a coworker and I went with the kid to see her play at Gampel. In those days, you could buy a ticket at the door and sit anywhere. So we sat down front, and I was immediately impressed with the team - their passing, hustle, defense and all around teamwork. This was basketball the way it was meant to be played.
I've been a fan ever since.
So one day, a coworker and I went with the kid to see her play at Gampel. In those days, you could buy a ticket at the door and sit anywhere. So we sat down front, and I was immediately impressed with the team - their passing, hustle, defense and all around teamwork. This was basketball the way it was meant to be played.
I've been a fan ever since.
Icebear
Andlig Ledare
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I started following women's college basketball when I was a student at Southern Connecticut and Southern's teams were something UConn could only aspire to. It was the days of Delta State and Immaculata among other schools When UConn emerged on the scene I was already in PA having left CT for Gettysburg Seminary in 1977 and being ordained and serving in Central PA. At that point I was following the Penn State team which had fellow Branford High grad, Bethany Collins, playing for Penn State after leading the Hornets to two consecutive state titles. Her dad Warren was friends with my father both being long time residents of Branford.
CT Yankee blood still runs deep in my veins given the first deeded land to a member of the family dates to Franklin, CT in 1640 and as UConn began to emerge on the WCBB scene it was great to have a CT team to cheer for and with the TV coverage it became something to talk with my father about when the occasional game made national coverage.
In 2002 my Dad was hospitalized and near death and I wrote a letter to the team telling them what they had given to the two of us as we shared following the team at distance from each other. Dad, too, received a signed poster from the team. To this day we share game reviews at least once a week. I just returned to PA from CT today and no doubt tomorrow we will enjoy yet another conversation about the Huskies.
CT Yankee blood still runs deep in my veins given the first deeded land to a member of the family dates to Franklin, CT in 1640 and as UConn began to emerge on the WCBB scene it was great to have a CT team to cheer for and with the TV coverage it became something to talk with my father about when the occasional game made national coverage.
In 2002 my Dad was hospitalized and near death and I wrote a letter to the team telling them what they had given to the two of us as we shared following the team at distance from each other. Dad, too, received a signed poster from the team. To this day we share game reviews at least once a week. I just returned to PA from CT today and no doubt tomorrow we will enjoy yet another conversation about the Huskies.
VAMike23
The Virginian
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Saw the final couple of minutes of the first national championship in '95 from a downtown Hartford bar, on a date a UCONN alum for the evening. The two things I remember were Rizzotti's play, and Lobo running around like a crazy person after the buzzer.
Fast forward to 2002 and the NCAA tournament. I had heard the buzz accompanying the team and tuned in to see some of their Elite 8 game, I believe. Don't remember paying all the much attention, to be honest. However when they made the Final Four, I made a point to sit down and watch.
WOW. First time in my life that I saw a "girls team" playing with the kind of skill, toughness and precision that made it look like the men's game (I mean that in the best way). This was great basketball, full stop. Sue Bird running that show! And the three-headed monster in the paint that I could not differentiate. They all played like a seamless 3-piece unit, sort of like the 1989 Illinois men's team which had many interchangeable parts. And you could tell Taurasi was very, very special.
Followed UCONN in the Taurasi era, but not all season long. Mostly for the NCAA tournament.
Watched UCONN lose against Stanford in 2008(?) and have watched pretty much every game I could since then.....
Fast forward to 2002 and the NCAA tournament. I had heard the buzz accompanying the team and tuned in to see some of their Elite 8 game, I believe. Don't remember paying all the much attention, to be honest. However when they made the Final Four, I made a point to sit down and watch.
WOW. First time in my life that I saw a "girls team" playing with the kind of skill, toughness and precision that made it look like the men's game (I mean that in the best way). This was great basketball, full stop. Sue Bird running that show! And the three-headed monster in the paint that I could not differentiate. They all played like a seamless 3-piece unit, sort of like the 1989 Illinois men's team which had many interchangeable parts. And you could tell Taurasi was very, very special.
Followed UCONN in the Taurasi era, but not all season long. Mostly for the NCAA tournament.
Watched UCONN lose against Stanford in 2008(?) and have watched pretty much every game I could since then.....
I started watching the huskies when I was a very young kid. I remember Diana Taurasi being my very first "crush" and nearly having a heart attack after meeting her after her 4 point performance against Seton Hall. That three peat of NC was when I got hooked. I recorded the 2004 NC game on a VCR tape and literally played it every afternoon after school. I researched team history and have watched every game ever since. I have become obsessed. Now in my 20s, I still make time for UCWBB. They will forever be a guilty pleasure of mine.
meyers7
You Talkin’ To Me?
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One of my favorites of all time. Battle, Gill, Liberty, Anderson, Bardo. All about 6-4 to 6-7. Flyin' Illini. Man they were fun to watch.
meyers7
You Talkin’ To Me?
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And that's why you are one of my favorite posters.
And now I will have to rethink that.
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I remember visiting my moms house in early 95 and for whatever reason the uconn/tenn game was on. (Odd since no one in the house watched bball). I was never really into basketball but did enjoy other sports so decided to watch the game and really enjoyed it. I made sure to watch some more games and of course the championship game and I was hooked. Watched most woman's game from then on and started to get into watching the men around 97/98. These days I never miss a men's or woman's game, so happy I can see all the games on Tv now in SC otherwise don't know what I'd do.
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I was a fan of the UConn men’s team due to Nadav H. and Doron Sheffer (2 Israeli basketball stars who I followed in Israel). One day in 2002 I had the TV open on some sports channel and they said UConn will be playing so I looked up. It was the UConn Women playing. Till that point I didn’t care much for WBB but as it was UConn I figured I’ll watch for few minutes. That game was amazing and I fell in love! Basketball the way it was meant to be played…amazing passing, amazing shooting, cuts, movement without the ball, rebounding with authority, looking for the best shot available by moving the ball around, [laying with determination and killer instinct and all of that with a visible joy! Since then I’ve followed the team, found the Boneyard (yay), been to many Big East tournaments, been to 5 final fours and saw every game possible on TV.
The teams change due to the different players but the strive for the perfect basketball continues under the masterful hands of Geno and his coaching staff.
I truly believe that as an UConn fan I’ve been spoiled in a way that I expect every time they play to play an amazing game. It’s Geno and that 2002 team’s fault J
The teams change due to the different players but the strive for the perfect basketball continues under the masterful hands of Geno and his coaching staff.
I truly believe that as an UConn fan I’ve been spoiled in a way that I expect every time they play to play an amazing game. It’s Geno and that 2002 team’s fault J
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Was always a women's basketball fan, but more in love with individual players than teams. I absolutely loved USC during the Cheryl Miller years, and also liked the early Tennessee and Lousiana Tech teams. I can, however, recall the exact mement I fell in love with UConn; March 25, 1995, the NCAA regional final gainst Virginia, a game UConn was very fortunate to win; A game during which they trailed by 7 at halftime; A game in which Rebecca Lobo was woeful; Did I mention that UConn was fortunate to win this game?
The moment: Very late in the second half, a critical possession, UConn is up five and coming out of timeout. UConn had Rebecca Lobo, Jennifer Rizzotti, Kara Wolters and Jamelle Elliott on the floor. Does Coach Auriemma give the ball to either of these established stars, three of whom are national players of the year at some point in their careers? No, he gives the ball to a freshman, Nykesha Sales, who rewards her coach's confidence with a nice pull up jumper in the lane. Then, follows that up with a steal and layup to score UConn's last two field goals in a four point victory.
That was the moment for me.
The moment: Very late in the second half, a critical possession, UConn is up five and coming out of timeout. UConn had Rebecca Lobo, Jennifer Rizzotti, Kara Wolters and Jamelle Elliott on the floor. Does Coach Auriemma give the ball to either of these established stars, three of whom are national players of the year at some point in their careers? No, he gives the ball to a freshman, Nykesha Sales, who rewards her coach's confidence with a nice pull up jumper in the lane. Then, follows that up with a steal and layup to score UConn's last two field goals in a four point victory.
That was the moment for me.
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Why hasn't UConn tapped into that Israeli wealth of talent in recent years. Henefeld and Sheffer were excellent ballplayers. Has some rule been implemented?
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I was born a Uconn fan...I lived close to Uconn and my dad was always a fan so I followed them as long as I can remember. In 1978, Cathy Bochain graduated from my high school and went to star at Uconn. I closely followed her career and about lost my mind in 1991! Damn those Burge twins! In 99 when the guys won, my heart was pounding so hard in those last 5 seconds I thought I was going to have a heart attack!
Olde Coach
Rip, Olde Coach
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1995 Martin Luther King Day game vs Tenn. Fell in love with Rizzotti's court vision, hustle, playmaking. Been a fan ever since.
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Born and raised in Connecticut. I grew up playing basketball in the 90s and early 2000s; I guess it was inevitable that I became a UConn women's basketball fan, it's all I've known! After attending UConn, I was officially hooked and a fan for life!
In January 1982, I was a graduate student at UConn living in the Grad dorms at the time. I was on campus during the Christmas break, and I was looking for some cheap entertainment to give me a break from the work I was doing. I got a hold of a women’s basketball schedule at the time, found out that the games were free (there’s nothing cheaper than that), and decided to go to a game. Maybe 50 people were there, and the team was hardly great, but I was hooked. For the next three seasons, I went to their home games whenever I could, watching players like Cathy Bochain, Leigh Curl, and Peggy Walsh (my favorite player at the time, she always played with a very annoyed expression on her face) do their thing.
I graduated from UConn after the 1984-85 season and moved to Norwich, well away from campus. I always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to see more of their games, but over the next several years I was able to attended only one game, and that was during Geno’s first year during the 1985-86 season. Even though there was not much news to get in those days about UConn women’s basketball, I do recall hearing snatches of news about the team, such as the recruitment of Tracy Lis, and their battles with Providence, their big rival at the time, but that was about it. Still, I maintained a rather vague interest in the team that lurked somewhere in the back of my mind.
UConn made their first Final Four in 1991, and I remember coming across their NCAA regional tournament games against North Carolina State and Clemsen on TV (I believe CPTV picked up the feed), as well as their Final Four game against Virginia. That really got me interested again, a fact that my wife (also a UConn graduate, and a big baseball and basketball fan) picked up on, something that I’m sure was not all that difficult for her to do. The following fall, just as the college basketball season was starting, I heard Geno on WTIC being interviewed on Arnold Dean’s show. During the interview Geno mentioned there was a UConn women’s basketball yearbook that was available for purchase. I decided that I just had to get that yearbook, and I mentioned to my wife that I was going to buy it. At that point she cringed, and told me not to bother, as she had already gotten it for me as a Christmas present, as well as tickets to a game right after Christmas against North Carolina State. We have followed the team closely ever since.
I graduated from UConn after the 1984-85 season and moved to Norwich, well away from campus. I always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to see more of their games, but over the next several years I was able to attended only one game, and that was during Geno’s first year during the 1985-86 season. Even though there was not much news to get in those days about UConn women’s basketball, I do recall hearing snatches of news about the team, such as the recruitment of Tracy Lis, and their battles with Providence, their big rival at the time, but that was about it. Still, I maintained a rather vague interest in the team that lurked somewhere in the back of my mind.
UConn made their first Final Four in 1991, and I remember coming across their NCAA regional tournament games against North Carolina State and Clemsen on TV (I believe CPTV picked up the feed), as well as their Final Four game against Virginia. That really got me interested again, a fact that my wife (also a UConn graduate, and a big baseball and basketball fan) picked up on, something that I’m sure was not all that difficult for her to do. The following fall, just as the college basketball season was starting, I heard Geno on WTIC being interviewed on Arnold Dean’s show. During the interview Geno mentioned there was a UConn women’s basketball yearbook that was available for purchase. I decided that I just had to get that yearbook, and I mentioned to my wife that I was going to buy it. At that point she cringed, and told me not to bother, as she had already gotten it for me as a Christmas present, as well as tickets to a game right after Christmas against North Carolina State. We have followed the team closely ever since.
Blueballer
Transhumanist Consultant
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Sorry to interrupt this well thought out thread. It's cool to see how folks got interested but.....
After tonight's tough ND loss and seeing some of the comments and post-game threads an appropriate thread to follow this one up could be
"How can some of you call yourselves fans?"
After tonight's tough ND loss and seeing some of the comments and post-game threads an appropriate thread to follow this one up could be
"How can some of you call yourselves fans?"
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That 99 game still gives me a heart attack.
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sorry- long version
my college roommate and i at Storrs were rabid UConn men's fans in the 60's. i kept season tix after graduation and we stayed in touch and attended games together for years. he called me one day in 1987. he was living in Pennsylvania at the time, and refereeing girls high school varsity games. he told me he had seen and talked to a pretty good player from Bucks County and her name was Meghan Pattyson.
Some months later, i picked up the Courant and read that she had committed to UConn to play. I called my ex-roommate and he asked me if Meghan's new team would be any good. I said i would catch a few games and let him know. That was the 87-88 season, and i wasn't disappointed. Laura Lishness and Kerry Bascom were really good players and they would be returning for a few more years. Geno was just starting to build a powerhouse.
When i next visited Pennsylvania in the summer of 88, Meghan's parents, Judy and Wally Pattyson invited us to a cookout at their house. They are great people, and it was a memorable day.
The next year i caught a lot of games, and was fortunate enough to see Geno and UConn beat Harry Perretta and Nova for the first time ever. They stole it 64-63 as time ran out, when center Heidi Robbins took and made a desperation 3-pointer. It was the only three she ever attempted in her career.
As I watched them celebrate before the 50 or so fans in the Field House, i found, to my surprise, that i was as emotional about that win as any men's game i had ever attended. I was blinking back tears. So i now had two basketball teams to root for.
The games were free for a while, but i started buying women's tickets as soon as they started charging (1991?) I was at Minneapolis in 95 and at several other final fours over the years. In 2004, i hit the jackpot, flying back and forth between the men in San Antonio and the women in New Orleans. If i make it to 2015, it will complete 50 years of men's games and more than 25 years of women's games. Ten national championship banners hanging in Gampel are reminders of the great ride that it has been.
my college roommate and i at Storrs were rabid UConn men's fans in the 60's. i kept season tix after graduation and we stayed in touch and attended games together for years. he called me one day in 1987. he was living in Pennsylvania at the time, and refereeing girls high school varsity games. he told me he had seen and talked to a pretty good player from Bucks County and her name was Meghan Pattyson.
Some months later, i picked up the Courant and read that she had committed to UConn to play. I called my ex-roommate and he asked me if Meghan's new team would be any good. I said i would catch a few games and let him know. That was the 87-88 season, and i wasn't disappointed. Laura Lishness and Kerry Bascom were really good players and they would be returning for a few more years. Geno was just starting to build a powerhouse.
When i next visited Pennsylvania in the summer of 88, Meghan's parents, Judy and Wally Pattyson invited us to a cookout at their house. They are great people, and it was a memorable day.
The next year i caught a lot of games, and was fortunate enough to see Geno and UConn beat Harry Perretta and Nova for the first time ever. They stole it 64-63 as time ran out, when center Heidi Robbins took and made a desperation 3-pointer. It was the only three she ever attempted in her career.
As I watched them celebrate before the 50 or so fans in the Field House, i found, to my surprise, that i was as emotional about that win as any men's game i had ever attended. I was blinking back tears. So i now had two basketball teams to root for.
The games were free for a while, but i started buying women's tickets as soon as they started charging (1991?) I was at Minneapolis in 95 and at several other final fours over the years. In 2004, i hit the jackpot, flying back and forth between the men in San Antonio and the women in New Orleans. If i make it to 2015, it will complete 50 years of men's games and more than 25 years of women's games. Ten national championship banners hanging in Gampel are reminders of the great ride that it has been.
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I posted this once before, about ten years ago. Time flies!
In the early fall of 1994 my wife attended a local charity auction. On the block fairly late in the evening were two sets of four tickets each to UConn Women’s basketball games. Nobody bid. Finally, just before the tix were whisked away and returned to their donor, my wife raised her hand on a whim. Sold, all eight tickets, for $20.
When she returned home with her trophies, my reaction was a tepid, “That might be fun.” Our daughter, then 13, was even less enthusiastic. She was an outdoors girl, a rider, and a runner who had had bad experiences in Phys. Ed. during the basketball sequence.
Nonetheless, come January, off we went to Storrs, stopping briefly to eat supper and give our daughter and her best friend a little hoops remediation: A basket is two points, behind the line is three, a foul shot is one, and a few other basic basics that partly clarified the combination of confusion and ignorance the two girls had carried with them to the game.
We parked in one of those far-away lots and made our way toward Gampel through a crowd growing denser and denser as we got closer. The girls began to get a little wound up. When we walked through the doors into the light, noise, and excitement, they were speechless. Neither of them had ever seen or heard anything like it. Our seats were good. The team was better. We were stunned by the Huskies’ intensity, speed, and power. We were all hoarse in minutes. I was irrevocably hooked when Jen Rizzotti sprinted diagonally across the floor, dove to the ground and skidded into the corner to rescue a loose ball that a sane person would have considered impossible to reach. My God, I’d never seen anything like these people. They were all in a controlled sort of frenzy that was irresistible. Seton Hall never had a chance.
The girls had been given a pack of player cards when we entered Gampel. Each had a picture on the front and personal information on the back. In a day, both girls knew every pertinent fact about the each player on the roster, from Rebecca Lobo to Jill Gelfenbein. Our daughter spent time reading basketball how-to books. They were ready for Game 2.
They weren’t alone. Our second $10 game turned out to be Tennessee, and everybody in the state was ready for what in retrospect was certainly the defining game in the program’s history. It was like watching the Little Engine That Could get over the crest of the mountain, and it was one of those games in which the crowd seemed to work as hard—and be as exhausted—as the players. And oh, the joy! No wonder we hung around afterwards. Everyone was too drunk with excitement to do anything else. How could we not fall in love with these girls, their crazed coach, and this program?
Our daughter went on to play a lot of basketball, and even to coach middle-school kids while she was in college (teamwork, screens, cuts, and bounce passes!). We’ve all been passionate fans ever since, of course. We eventually would have become fans anyway, but what a lucky, unforgettable introduction!
In the early fall of 1994 my wife attended a local charity auction. On the block fairly late in the evening were two sets of four tickets each to UConn Women’s basketball games. Nobody bid. Finally, just before the tix were whisked away and returned to their donor, my wife raised her hand on a whim. Sold, all eight tickets, for $20.
When she returned home with her trophies, my reaction was a tepid, “That might be fun.” Our daughter, then 13, was even less enthusiastic. She was an outdoors girl, a rider, and a runner who had had bad experiences in Phys. Ed. during the basketball sequence.
Nonetheless, come January, off we went to Storrs, stopping briefly to eat supper and give our daughter and her best friend a little hoops remediation: A basket is two points, behind the line is three, a foul shot is one, and a few other basic basics that partly clarified the combination of confusion and ignorance the two girls had carried with them to the game.
We parked in one of those far-away lots and made our way toward Gampel through a crowd growing denser and denser as we got closer. The girls began to get a little wound up. When we walked through the doors into the light, noise, and excitement, they were speechless. Neither of them had ever seen or heard anything like it. Our seats were good. The team was better. We were stunned by the Huskies’ intensity, speed, and power. We were all hoarse in minutes. I was irrevocably hooked when Jen Rizzotti sprinted diagonally across the floor, dove to the ground and skidded into the corner to rescue a loose ball that a sane person would have considered impossible to reach. My God, I’d never seen anything like these people. They were all in a controlled sort of frenzy that was irresistible. Seton Hall never had a chance.
The girls had been given a pack of player cards when we entered Gampel. Each had a picture on the front and personal information on the back. In a day, both girls knew every pertinent fact about the each player on the roster, from Rebecca Lobo to Jill Gelfenbein. Our daughter spent time reading basketball how-to books. They were ready for Game 2.
They weren’t alone. Our second $10 game turned out to be Tennessee, and everybody in the state was ready for what in retrospect was certainly the defining game in the program’s history. It was like watching the Little Engine That Could get over the crest of the mountain, and it was one of those games in which the crowd seemed to work as hard—and be as exhausted—as the players. And oh, the joy! No wonder we hung around afterwards. Everyone was too drunk with excitement to do anything else. How could we not fall in love with these girls, their crazed coach, and this program?
Our daughter went on to play a lot of basketball, and even to coach middle-school kids while she was in college (teamwork, screens, cuts, and bounce passes!). We’ve all been passionate fans ever since, of course. We eventually would have become fans anyway, but what a lucky, unforgettable introduction!
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