OT: Where you from? How'd ya get here (CT or BY, take your pick)?

[tomcat]

Born in Springfield, MA and went to local schools and then Holy Cross College in Worcester. Got out with the most useful degree imaginable -- sociology -- and couldn't afford grad school, so I got a job as a reporter in Providence, RI, loved it and stayed for 11 years in a variety of writing and editing positions. Decided I wanted to try something new and signed on for what became a 7-year stint at Channel 3 in Hartford. My daughter was born in 1983. Moved into government communications work at a state agency for a couple of years before moving into corporate communications in -- surprise! -- insurance. By then I was divorced and trying to move to metro Boston, where my ex and daughter had moved.

At about this time, I had an offer to co-teach a night course in journalism at UConn, which sort of got me attuned to both the university and college basketball, a sport I really hadn't followed. This was during the first real excitement with the men's team -- the Tate George shot, Christian Laettner, yada yada.....

Eventually made it to a Boston job and an apartment on the North Shore and worked in Boston for years in financial services communications -- PR mostly. Meanwhile, had noticed the UConn women -- the Jen Rizzotti year -- and thought that those games would be a great thing to do with my daughter. Grabbed tickets whenever I could, and we drove down to Storrs or saw them when they played at BC or PC. I became addicted. It turns out my daughter never cared for the sport as much as I did (she told me many years later), but she liked the fun of the trips, which by then had expanded to include Rutgers and an NCAA regional in Richmond. Moved to suburban Philly for a job -- by this time, my daughter was living with me -- and we saw that fantastic Final Four in Philly. When she went off to school I moved from the 'burbs to the city and met and married a wonderful woman who, amazingly , has stuck with me. Since then, we moved back to Boston for a job and seven years ago, to Phoenix, where I direct communications and PR for the largest community college district in the state, with 10 colleges and more than 230,000 students a year. Completed my master's degree last year, so I think I'll try to do some teaching as a warm-up for retirement years which might happen in a couple of years.

My wife is not as WCBB-crazed as I, but she watches the games with me and has been a trusty sidekick on a number of trips, including the first St. Thomas Thanksgiving tournament, the San Antonio Final Four and the Stanford streak-breaking game.

 

[DaddyChoc]

born and raised in the north end of Hartford, Weaver High grad (Doc Hurley)... worked for the Greater Hartford YMCA for 20yrs (from age 16), love the kids/teens. got laid off from the Y (youth emergency shelter).. was out of work for 6 months, deciding if I wanted to work with kids again, times were changing in 2007 (MySpace and cell phones). I took a job at a local hospital (IT Help/Telecom) and been there ever since on the graveyard shift (reason for the late night comments and why I didnt attend a game this season )

followed womens basketball since the late 80's (Tracy Lis, putting up big numbers) got closer to the women in '95 but I do remember Bascom playing, hearing her name! When Nykesha joined that team I got more involved (watched her play at nearby Bloomfield High). I never thought about tickets to the game back when Sales was there but during the DT- era I tired and failed (may had nosebleeds available).

hopped on the BY the summer of 2004 because I knew there had to be be a place (chatroom or forum) online that would be talking about the UConn Huskies winning both titles. I came on talking trash, may have been banned a few times, begged Nan to allow me back... now I know my place.

met a few nice guys here (SouthBranch, Blake0n18, Phil, Ice, TonyC... along with the late great HuskyBill, to name a few).

I only attend game at the XL Center which is walking distance from where I live... only did Gampel once (Ann's senior night/afternoon) because I didnt and dont like the metal benches. (not a bigshot so I cant get chairbacks)

thanks for starting this thread, great stories from those who posted.

BTW Im only 45... so I dont see retirement in my near future, unless I get Lucky For Life

 

[katiecrum1992]

Born in South Carolina to California-born parents in the year of my username. Moved to Kentucky when I was 2, then moved to Northern California when I was 4, still here. I don't remember anything about living in the south however so I claim California as home.

I've been a basketball player and fan since I was about 5 or 6. I remember getting one of those cheap plastic kiddie hoops, and the summer I turned 8 I attended a local basketball camp, they gave us all a pack of trading cards on the last day and I traded a boy for a pack of cards that had the 99-00 team on them since I had men's cards(wish I still had them). Obviously didn't think much about how much they would mean later, though.

Basketball was the first sport I played that I truly loved. I played other sports and have always been a natural athlete but basketball was by far my best sport. I played in school for the recess league we had that my PE teacher ran and then in a rec league. However I stopped playing at age 11 when my attitude became an issue. Didn't play on a team again until my senior year of high school when I started doing special Olympics but I always shot around on the hoop out back with my dad so I was still very good.

Then in middle school I remember watching the second half of the 2004 championship, my dad was scrolling through channels and I asked him to stop so I could watch the rest of the game. I sort of knew who Diana Taurasi was then, I'd been getting sports illustrated kids for a few years(I actually just cancelled my subscription)and I remember it being a big deal because the men and women both won that year.

I remember checking scores during the 90 game streak starting with the 2010 NC until the Stanford loss and wanting the shirt when they hit 89. I moved out the next year right before the ncaa tournament and watched UConn lose that year and the next in the FF. I really got interested in the women's game then but didn't have a clear cut favorite team. I would pull for UConn whenever they played though.
Joined the boneyard right before the start of the ncaa tournament last year since I don't personally know anyone who really follows the women's game. But I really started following UConn at the beginning of the 2012-13 season. I went to the Stanford game at maples that year and had a blast. I hope to go see them this year again. So my journey has been an eventful one!

 

[UConnChapette]

Good stuff! Keep it coming.

I neglected to mention where I attended college. It was a small liberal arts college called Yankton College. When I say small, I mean small. 60 or so in my graduating class. I was the only student in my Constitutional law class. Hardest course I ever took material-wise, and no one to study with, and i was always the first to get called on. Proud to say I pulled a B in that class. Most notable alum from YC was Lyle Alzado, NFL player who died from cancer which if I recall correctly correctly was steroid induced.

3 or 4 years after I graduated the college closed down. The property was sold to the federal government who turned it into a minimum security federal prison camp... Where a former mayor of Omaha did a stint. Small world.

If you Google Earth Yankton, SD, you can see the fences around campus. Just Google mapped it (had not done that before) and the fences are small, and the campus is far prettier than it was during my "time" there.

So.... I guess you could say U-"Con" has been a part of my life since the mid 80s. :-D

 

[johnnyc]

I was born and raised in NYC and grew up playing street ball and following all things basketball.....Knicks, college, and high school.....all of it. The newspapers covered everything and you could read all the sport sections for free at the candy store as long as you bought a soda or egg cream. Good deal! Lost track somewhat when I went into the Navy but really became aware of WCB especially locally with Old Dominion and Nancy Lieberman and Montclair St. with Carol 'The Blaze' Blazejowski when I returned home. Again lost track a little raising a family through various moves but started following UConn when my daughter started playing basketball and became a Rebecca Lobo fan. I've been a fan of UConn WCB since but I also keep an eye on Notre Dame and Marquette because of the old NYC connections and of course the NYC teams.....St. John's, Fordham, Manhattan, etc. I read the Boneyard for a while before posting right around the time Stef Dolson (who played HS locally) and Bria Hartley were being recruited. My wife and I now live in South Carolina and look forward to when UConn visits SC in a couple of years.

 

[ChicagoGG]

I am thoroughly enjoying this thread....and a huge thanks to the kind moderator who gave me my new moniker "Windy City Kitty"!
Love it! Now I feel like I am part of the "family." XOXO.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

I was born in New Jersey to native-NYC parents. They dragged me to South Carolina when I was in 3rd grade and I've lived in Columbia ever since. I love the city, but mostly don't like the rest of the state. I attended my first WBB game when I was in high school, at the old Coliseum in Columbia - #1 Louisiana Tech (Kim Mulkey was the PG) against #2 South Carolina (yes, we are not just a Johnny-come-lately to the game) and, even though we lost, I enjoyed the game. WBB is my 3rd favorite sport, after MBB and FB, and I've had USC season tickets for years. My seats are a few rows behind the opposing head coach, which is awesome because I get to compare coaches. I joined the Boneyard because there seemed to be a lot of intelligent discussion about the sport in here.

I'm shocked how many people posting in this thread live in SC.

 

[geordi]

Born and raised in Hartford in 19&%$%$&^%&^. Went to UConn in the 60s and played a little basketball and baseball there as a walk on. I still have the splinters in my butt to prove it. Went in to the Navy in lieu of being drafted and laying face down in a rice paddy for eternity. When I came back, I went to work for the Red Cross and lasted for over 40 years. Spent the first 12 years in Connecticut and then was recruited to come to the Washington area. Worked with the Alumni Association getting folks involved down here at tone point.

I just retired - finally - on January 1 (basically I discovered that I have many hundreds of golf balls that are in dire need of being lost...I'm sure I can accommodate them). As we speak, er, type...the packers are here putting everything together for the movers on Monday to spirit us away to Charleston, SC. Finally, no more $&^&^%&^%&^ snow to shovel.

I can still remember two special times. The first time I walked into Gampel after all of those nasty times in the old, rickety, leaky field house, I couldn't believe the pride I felt that we were finally really big time. Even better, I was in Tampa in 99. During those last 10-15 seconds when Ricky More shut down Langdon and it finally dawned on me that we were National Champions...I still remember the chills and the tears.

 

[UcMiami]

Absolute fabulous thread and wonderful stories all - each one I read tempted me to comment about connection - spent 6 years in Mobay, Jamaica, or friend who went to Grinnell and told me of its founder - the original recipient of Greeley's admonition to 'go west, young man, go west'. (Always thought it called into question the founders geography, stamina, or ambition that IA was as far west as he got!) But not enough space ... so, my story:
My parents moved to Storrs, CT in 1947 when my Dad got a job in the English Department, just in time for the first major expansion of the University due to the GI Bill. My first sister was born at Willimantic hospital that winter and two more followed, our family doctor (Dr. Gilman - office on Dog Lane) having predicted a boy each time. By the time I came around he gave up and predicted a girl giving him a 100% score on being wrong. We lived on campus initially in housing called 'Oil Can Row' (surplus quonset huts with oilcans on sawhorses at the back), moved to the Mansfield Apartments when they were built, and then my parents built a home on Separatist Rd (where they lived when I came along in 1955.) I went to elementary school in what is now the town hall, and HS at E.O.Smith in the late 60s early 70s. I spent a lot of time running around the campus, going to free concerts, sit-ins, and watching football from the hill where the parking garage now stands (used to be the apple orchards on that hill.) I remember running on the 'new, amazing' track when it was first installed in the field house never being conscious that that area in the middle was the basketball court. And I was first introduced to computers when my 8th grade math class finished our year's work in half a year and we all learned Fortran II programming language and got time on the Uconn computer - still have stacks of punch cards, for some of the programs I wrote. Went to college at Princeton, dropped out to pursue theater, went back to school first at the O'Neill Center in Waterford, CT and then to Connecticut College - after graduating spent a year as the assistant Technical Director at Conn College before heading to NYC to pursue my dream. I did technical theater work in NYC mostly off Broadway for six years - my biggest claim to fame - telling Sir Anthony Hopkins to get the hell out of the way as he was standing in a sight line I was checking from the house - honestly I didn't know who he was with his back turned. I ended up working a union job in the back of beyond Brooklyn (near Christ the King HS - who knew!) for the NBC scene shop - mostly building sets for SNL. A friend from Princeton had started a very small company and I helped him, invested a little money, and in 1986 went to work with him when he made me an offer I couldn't refuse. While the union money was good, we were so removed from the actual artistic side that it no longer felt like art, just construction.
The company had offices on 5th Ave and 14 St and we tabulated retailer newspaper advertising for manufacturers. As the company grew we moved out of the city to Amsterdam, NY where our landlord burned down the whole building complex in an insurance fraud (caught and jailed) and we ended up taking the insurance money and moving the back room operation to Montego Bay, Ja, where I lived for 6 years. I then moved back to Saratoga Springs, NY followed by 18 months in London working from home, Chicago, IL (Evanston and then downtown) when we merged with a competitor, and a very strange 6 months in Clarksville, TN transitioning another merged company. My dad died around the end of my time in JA, and I was helping my mother. That became more important as she reached her 90s and having shifted to part time I bought a small house in Miami and split time between there and Storrs, CT. My mom died at age 95 a few years ago and I now own the house in CT and am shifting more towards there than Miami. I hate NE in Jan - Mar, but love it the rest of the time and love the home I grew up in. I officially retired 18 months ago because I no longer needed the job to maintain health insurance - not to be political, but as a type II diabetic, the only way I could get insurance was by staying on a payroll - now, someone else is doing my job who actually needs the job, and I am no longer bound to a job I had wanted to leave for about 5 years.
On Basketball - loved the game as a kid and loved the Celtics, but only ever played intramurally and was never very good. Theater took up all my outside activity time so never pursued anything athletic in school except pick-up games. My dad started watching the women on CPTV and whenever I was home during the season we would watch together. He was so excited about the TASSK force and especially Sue Bird, but died the summer before their freshman year. I began really following them at that point and to this day, I think about him when I watch the games. Being an academic and a former 'miler' and relay member throughout his HS and college years he loved the women because they represented student athletes more than the big men's sports. Been reading and posting for quite a while on the boneyard - and the Uconn women are my sporting passion - I follow the Boston teams closely in the pros, but not with the same passion and part of that is due to the BY. Being able to join a community that is both passionate and respectful makes the experience of being a fan so much better. The other sports forums I visit occasionally to pick up news, but it is a hard slog to find an intelligent thread - they all descending into banality almost immediately.
Probably too much information and too long, but ... I loved the detail in earlier posts and the odd 'bells' rung by tidbits posted.
And a last one - my sisters are now spread out in Maui, Los Angeles, and Freedom, NH - we actually like each other a lot, but succeeded in living just about as far away from each other as possible and staying in the states - my niece is living in Tacoma, WA continuing the family tradition!

FYI - for some reason the word for drama on a stage gets change when posted into theater - haven't tried theatre - maybe that will work.

 

[AllAmerRedHeads]

Hi All,

From Glastonbury where I was born when "Save the last dance for me" was number one on the billboard.

graduated GHS in 78 and went to college in northern Vermont for wildlife and Forestry Mgmt. Ended up in the Northern Rockies of Idaho and Montana as "Hot shot" forest fire fighter...best job i ever had.

got married 3 kids. wife is a hair dresser and was doing the hair of a former alum who kept talking of UConn back in fall of 94. watched a couple of games on CPTV and my life has never been the same.

Rebecca was and is my fav of all time on UConn. Yet it became so much more for me.

My Grandmother played basketball for the J.B. Williams soap factory in glastonbury during the depression and i had a pic of her on her team. she had passed so i never got to learn her stories. I wanted to learn how we got from them to UConn.

so my new life's endeavor started. I began searching the internet when there was little there. I started acquiring artifacts online and eventually from players from yesteryear and today.

This lead to me wanting to share what i learned with others. I began doing local exibitions. This would eventually lead to me doing them at NCAA Regionals, Final four and more.

I wanted to develop a museum but it never happened. Yet other things did. Many articles, historian of the short lived NWBL and much more.

Yet what i became most proud of was of my work on the All American Red Heads. this team had faded into the cobwebs of history. I located the owner and we became like father and son. He entrusted me to help carry on the legacy of the team.

I wrote the nomination from which they were selected to be the first womens basketball team ever inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Was on stage that night with 65 players as we were presented by Dr J for induction. We all had tears in our eyes as the likes of MJ, Larry Bird, Magic, Cousey and others stood and gave a standing ovation.

The ring you see as my avatar is my Naismith ring. very humbled to have been recognized for these efforts.

trying to wrap up a book on this team that has been a much harder task than i ever thought. Yet we have a good contract with a publisher and have faith it will happen within a year.

UConn womens basketball has had a major in my life and that of my family. I will always be a fan of what this team has meant to the 4 fours that we live in.

I now reside in Rocky Hill. Taking a step back from the history work for the most part and just enjoying watching a good game of womens basketball.

 

[vtinct]

I was born and raised in Vermont. Both my parents graduated from UConn in the 70's. I'm an only child and a girl and my dad is a huge sports fan so I was groomed to be a fan from day one. I played basketball from fifth grade through high school and my really awesome parents bought me season tickets to the XL Center (I think called Civic Center back then) sixth grade through eighth grade. These were the Sue, Swin, D days. If the game was on the weekend, we would stay with my grandparents in Milford but if it was a weekday, my parents would take half a day off, pull me out of school, and drive down and then back in one day. These games are some of the best memories of my childhood and being able to watch the games live, was when I truly fell in love with UConn WB. I went to a few games in high school but was too busy with my own schedule to get to many. I want off to college in Hawaii and didn't watch too many games during those four years (time change, college life, beach) but would drive down for a game with my dad (unfortunately my mom was/is too sick to make the drive) during winter vacation.

Since graduation, I've moved back to Vermont to help take care of my mom. Watching and reading about UConn WB and to a lesser extent the men, has not only been somewhat of an outlet but also incredibly fun and exciting and I'm happy to have rediscovered my love of the program!

 

[caramel]

I was born in Brooklyn,Connecticut and lived 40 years in Brookln and Danielson.I was privileged to work near the campus for five years as a produce manager at Big Y foods.By privileged,I mean,I got to see a number of Connecticut athletes on occasion coming into the store while I was working.However,I was a fan of Connecticut sports from the early Yankee conference.
I eventually moved to Florida,where I still reside.
I accidentally came across the boneyard one day searching Connecticut ladies women's basketball,and have been watching the site ever since.
I am surely a rookie here,for I see some people with 6000 plus posts.
My favorite all time women's player is a tie between Shea and Sue Bird.

 

[caramel]

The thought of reducing over 26,280 days of my life to a few paragraphs scares me... The worst part is that it is a reminder that I have forgotten a lot… That really bothers me especially since there are a lot more days gone than remaining.

Born and raised in New Jersey…Rutgers was my team… Not good enough to go to college after high school, I, knowing the draft was after me, joined the Army. I ended up as an advisor in Viet-Nam in 1962. My friends still joke that I started the war.

I went back for college never having seen the campus as a 21 year old freshman. My introduction to college life was my dorm counselor asking me to get him six-packs of beer.

Afterwards I went to work with a major textile producer, as a sales intern in the summer of 1965 and then rejoined them as a salesman in 1966 after graduation… I was transferred to Detroit in January of 1967. My teams at that time were Michigan State where my brother was on the swimming team and Michigan where I went to watch football. Michigan was beautiful but the sidewalks really do roll up in Toledo (and Detroit) at night.

In 1975 I was transferred back to New York. My wife and I settled in Connecticut. The commute to NYC was better from Connecticut than from NJ.

Sports are a part of my life. I was active for about the last twenty+ years in organized soccer. I started coaching soccer in Connecticut while my kids were young and turned to refereeing after a car accident… It turned out that not a lot of adult referees had experience in playing so I got a lot of games because I had played… I worked youth games, adult leagues and eventually in the 2nd tier professional games, USISL… I was asked to become the State Youth Referee Administrator and later Director of Referee Assessment for Connecticut… Lots of travel and interesting places and lots of great games and inside stories… But too much time and effort… I gave it up in 2003. Now I just watch.

That’s how I got involved with women’s basketball… CPTV… I have been watching since the first championship. I got caught up in the hype although I knew nothing about the game. I caught on to the Boneyard several ‘Yards ago and have not only learned a lot about the game, the players and the strategies, but have gone to a lot of games and a to a lot of different venues… Wouldn’t trade it for any other sport at this point. Now I am sucked in the post season tournaments and to pre-season tournaments... I drove 800 miles to see the Regionals without UConn playing. (Who does that?) I can't wait for the next season!!! Going for 10!!!

Got me,I only have 23,150+ days to think of.

 

[UcMiami]

Got me,I only have 23,150+ days to think of.

Hope you both are accounting for leap years here - don't want anyone lying about their age on this board!!!

 

[Icebear]

Born and raised in Branford. I still have family there.

 

[slug25]

My wife and I are natives of Long Island and have been following the UCONN women since the mid 90's. I graduated from Middlebury in 1969 and played soccer there for Joe Morrone before he moved to Storrs. After teaching for three years in Saratoga, we moved to UCONN for grad school and I signed on as assistant soccer coach for the '72 - '75 seasons while earning a masters and a PhD. I used to earn $10 per game at the men's games in the old field house by standing on the baseline to keep fans off the court.

From UCONN I took a faculty position at Salisbury University in Maryland where we have been ever since. We routinely attend games in the DC and Philly areas and watch on TV. Attending the Paradise Jam last year was our fan-career highlight and we plan to make it to Ft. Myers for the 2014 tournament as well.

Summers find us in West Fort Ann, NY at our summer residence on Copeland Pond.

 

[uconnfan68]

My wife and I are natives of Long Island and have been following thenUCONN women since the mid 90's. I graduated from Middlebury in 1969 and played soccer there for Joe Morrone before he moved to Storrs. After teaching for three years in Saratoga, we moved to UCONN for grad school and I signed on as assistant soccer coach for the '72 - '75 seasons while earning a masters and a PhD. I used to earn $10 per game at the men's games in the old field house by standing on the baseline to keep fans off the court.

From UCONN I took a faculty position at Salisbury University in Maryland where we have been ever since. We routinely attend games in the DC and Philly areas and watch on TV. Attending the Paradise Jam last year was our fan-career highlight and we plan to make it to Ft. Myers for the 2014 tournament as well.

Summers find us in West Fort Ann, NY at our summer residence on Copeland Pond.

I thought you lived on a golf course! ;^)

 

[slug25]

I thought you lived on a golf course! ;^)

With my new titanium hip, I hope to be there a lot this summer!

 

[StoneTheCrows]

born in hartford and lived in connecticut my whole life. i love new england and would never move from this area, though the southwest could be my new winter home when i retire. i have followed this board for years,mainly for recruting updates. i have followed the uconn men since wes b. and the uconn women since the beginning of the cptv era. i may or may not ever post again, but i will still follow the board, and thanks to all for keeping the boneyard interesting and informative.

 

[Teacherdeb]

Born in '51, started watching sports with my dad. Vaguely remember Cousy on TV. Fell in love with the Celtics in the Bill Russell era and thanks to an uncle who lived in Boston caught a few games at tha Garden. In high school discovered the "Impossible Dream" Red Sox. Remember going on a field trip to The Shakespeare theatre in Stratford, watching Macbeth while everywhere kid were tuned into their transistor radios listening to one of the World Series games. Went to UMASS and lucked into the Julius Erving era- waiting outside The Cage for hours to see a game. Julius dated a girl on my floor so got to know him- great guy. Pitino and Al Skinner were on that team too. Married a guy who loved sports and moved to CT. Had planned to go to the UMASS/UCONN game at the Hartford Civic Center the night the roof fell in, but bad weather kept us home. Started coaching rec and travel basketball in town when Gampel opened, and wanted to see it. No tickets available for the guys, women you could just walk in. So started going to the women's games and got hooked. Took my players too. Games were free at first, then they went to season tickets which let you sit in the lower level. Loved the '91 final four, Wendy Davis, Kerry Bascomb and company. Our interest ratcheted up Rebecca's freshman year, and then Jen and Jamelle the following. It was so much fun going to Gampel! Then my favorite game of all time- when Tennesee came to town in '95. What an experience! No one leaving at the end of the game- the team coming back out... And then the tournament. Just wow. Being at Gampel when they came home. I tell you, it was memorable. Have enjoyed the ride and look forward to its continuation.

 

[UConnChapette]

born in hartford and lived in connecticut my whole life. i love new england and would never move from this area, though the southwest could be my new winter home when i retire. i have followed this board for years,mainly for recruting updates. i have followed the uconn men since wes b. and the uconn women since the beginning of the cptv era. i may or may not ever post again, but i will still follow the board, and thanks to all for keeping the boneyard interesting and informative.

Welcome aboard, Stone! Don't be shy, post again. The more the merrier, and sometimes contentious.

 

[~*Jen*~]

I tried to reply before but lost it so here I go again!

Let's see.... I'm from Michigan. I went to college in Florida, which is where I met my husband. He's from Connecticut. Note here: our financial aid counselor is from Connecticut and she had a board full of UConn women's stuff in her office.

Anyway, I didn't really care. I wasn't into sports. But then a few years later, we ended up transferring to UConn. Then my husband talked me into watching a game. I remember. We had recently started classes and it was the game against Duke during the 70-game streak. So early 2003. And I just fell in love. They were so much fun to watch. And so I've been a fan ever since. No matter where I live (central Georgia, Atlanta, Huntsville, eastern Iowa), I stay a fan. We watch all the games we can, buy ourselves and mini chick whatever gear we can...

As far as the boneyard is concerned... I really don't recall how I stumbled upon the old one. I think it was in 2004 but I don't remember how/why. I'm not the most frequent poster but I do read a lot... sometimes. I get really busy, though.

 

[ChicagoGG]

I tried to reply before but lost it so here I go again!

Let's see.... I'm from Michigan. I went to college in Florida, which is where I met my husband. He's from Connecticut. Note here: our financial aid counselor is from Connecticut and she had a board full of UConn women's stuff in her office.

Anyway, I didn't really care. I wasn't into sports. But then a few years later, we ended up transferring to UConn. Then my husband talked me into watching a game. I remember. We had recently started classes and it was the game against Duke during the 70-game streak. So early 2003. And I just fell in love. They were so much fun to watch. And so I've been a fan ever since. No matter where I live (central Georgia, Atlanta, Huntsville, eastern Iowa), I stay a fan. We watch all the games we can, buy ourselves and mini chick whatever gear we can...

As far as the boneyard is concerned... I really don't recall how I stumbled upon the old one. I think it was in 2004 but I don't remember how/why. I'm not the most frequent poster but I do read a lot... sometimes. I get really busy, though.

Any time you would like to post more pix of the mini mojo keeper, please do. She is adorable! Enjoy your posts, too.

 

[alexrgct]

Any time you would like to post more pix of the mini mojo keeper, please do. She is adorable! Enjoy your posts, too.

This one isn't Jen's mini mojo keeper, but she's mine.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Born in '51, started watching sports with my dad. Vaguely remember Cousy on TV. Fell in love with the Celtics in the Bill Russell era and thanks to an uncle who lived in Boston caught a few games at tha Garden. In high school discovered the "Impossible Dream" Red Sox. Remember going on a field trip to The Shakespeare the lawre in Stratford, watching Macbeth while everywhere kid were tuned into their transistor radios listening to one of the World Series games. Went to UMASS and lucked into the Julius Erving era- waiting outside The Cage for hours to see a game. Julius dated a girl on my floor so got to know him- great guy. Pitino and Al Skinner were on that team too. Married a guy who loved sports and moved to CT. Had planned to go to the UMASS/UCONN game at the Hartford Civic Center the night the roof fell in, but bad weather kept us home. Started coaching rec and travel basketball in town when Gampel opened, and wanted to see it. No tickets available for the guys, women you could just walk in. So started going to the women's games and got hooked. Took my players too. Games were free at first, then they went to season tickets which let you sit in the lower level. Loved the '91 final four, Wendy Davis, Kerry Bascomb and company. Our interest ratcheted up Rebecca's freshman year, and then Jen and Jamelle the following. It was so much fun going to Gampel! Then my favorite game of all time- when Tennesee came to town in '95. What an experience! No one leaving at the end of the game- the team coming back out... And then the tournament. Just wow. Being at Gampel when they came home. I tell you, it was memorable. Have enjoyed the ride and look forward to its continuation.

My sister-in-law was at UMASS when Dr. J was playing, too. She then got her masters at UCONN.