My passion for sports

If there's one picture that has stuck with me for the past twenty-eight years, it's the picture from the Topeka Capital Journal (it was probably in the Star, too) of Royal's shortstop Freddie Patek hanging his head in disappointment after grounding into a double play ending the Royals' chances of advancing to the 1977 World Series. I remember that night so well. I felt so sick after the loss I was unable to complete my math homework.
What accentuates this memory is the fact I was watching the game with Mom and even she was feeling flustered by the Royals' blowup in the ninth inning that allowed the hated Yankees to take the lead in the game. "George Brett, you did it again!!" she shouted as our then young third baseman made a throwing error to contribute to the debacle.
I didn't get many opportunities to share sports on TV with Mom, partly because she had become a working mother after she divorced my dad and partly because she started dating again. But I must admit, I did enjoy the times we had together ranging from my first attendance to a Royals game in 1977 to watching a Topeka Sizzlers basketball game on the Washburn campus.
I sure wish I could have watched the KU championship with her and my sister in 1988 when she watched the game on her then-brand new Zenith color television set. But I was at the campus radio station as the celebration broke out after the final horn.
As most of you know, I have maintained my fervor for sports especially the local college basketball scene. And every time my Jayhawks get bounced from the post season tournament, I still feel the disappointment and the sickness like I did back in 1977. But you know what, the sun always rises the next day and spring comes signifying everything starts anew and the Jayhawks will get a chance next season.
KU simply ran into a better team last Friday night. Bradley was better prepared. But for me, the youth on the KU team inspires hope--hope that they will be a solid team next year and hope that they learned NOT to be tentative or intimidated by the big time tournament game. KU will be back and I expect I'll have to deal with my feelings of sickness when they disappoint. But a little euphoria from a national championship doesn't hurt either.