[move] A Rally Call for Shocker Football
It’s no secret that I’m a KU fan. From my collection of Jayhawk-clad clothing to the bumper stickers that adorn my car to my numerous offers to bear Todd Reesing’s illegitimate children, you’d think that I bleed crimson and blue. Alas, I have a confession to make:
Wichita State is my alma mater. I am a Shocker in Jayhawk feathers.
Before you grab your pitchforks and torches, allow me to explain.
Football.
I love football. Sure, part of my obsession stems from the sight of boys running around in tight pants getting all sweaty. I mean, honestly, what heterosexual female can resist that? But I do truly love the game. And I understand the game. The plays, the penalties, the peni– oh, you get the idea.
In fact, I wouldn’t even be alive were it not for football — Wichita State football to be exact. My dad came here in the ’80s to play football for the Shockers. He met my mother, a Wichitan born and bred, and settled down. And the rest is history — my history.
To this day, my mom regales me with stories of Shocker football. The bitter cold football seasons. The cars lined up for miles to get onto campus. And the cheering, adoring Shocker football fans. However magical it sounds, it’s just not enough.
As with any relationship, when one person’s needs aren’t being met, one may seek comfort in the arms of another. My need is football. And I’ve found myself in the arms– err, wings of the Jayhawks. And yet, while I will always be a KU fan, I am a Shocker at heart.
So, Wichita State, bring back football. I don’t care how you do it or how well you do it. In fact, I would rather sit through a losing season than joke about being undefeated since 1987. The community and your alumni need football in Cessna Stadium — Shocker football.
Until then, I’ll continue to dream of having Todd Reesing’s love child.
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Sorry, to karate chop your bubble, but Wichita State will probaly never get football back. This just isn’t a sports town. It’s sad that most Wichitans don’t give the support of our local sports teams. And also the difference in the crowds from a WSU basketball game compared to a KU or KSU game. Went to the game on Sat. night and was cheering and all the older white folks looked at me like I had just screamed Fire!!! Nobody hardly cheers except for the student section and I even saw a woman reading a book that night!!! Sad, so sad!!!
http://www.bringbackshockerfootball.com/
I don’t think the reasons not to have football at WSU are entirely based on a (perceived) lack of support for sports in Wichita.
It has to do with Title IX. Football teams are expensive and male only. To bring back football, WSU would have to put the same amount of funding into women’s sports. So it’s not just the cost of the football team the University would need to find money for in state coffers and alumni pockets. It’s also the equivalent amount of funding to put into women’s sports.
I call BS on “not a sports town.” There’s at least one magazine (actually, I think there might be two? not positive) dedicated entirely to local high school sports. Why can’t we put the same enthusiasm into college athletics? In fact, we do – just to different teams. There are tons of positively RABID KU and KSU fans in ICT.
Funding a football program IS expensive. But it’s also one of the most lucrative college sports. In addition to bringing attention to the school, the student body and the community.
Yes, Title IX took its toll on sports programs. But TONS of other colleges have managed to make it work without sacrificing football. Wichita has a thick WSU alumni base. I just don’t see how that can’t be tapped into to get proverbial ball rolling — or, in this case, punting, passing or kicking.
Thanks for writing this. I am right there with you “a Shocker in Jayhawk feathers.” I love football and the experience of going to a football game – it is an all day event really. Hello? Tailgating. I still remember the “Alive in 95″ bumper stickers when there was talk of bringing WSU football back in the 90’s. This is TOTALLY a sports town – we can handle it. Bring it back indeed.
I hear alot of you saying this is so much of a sports town. But how come when the Wranglers were in contending for a championship, nobody showed up so they left. Hardly anyone shows up to Wingnut games, Thunder attendance has continued to drop for the last 5 years, The Wild made a playoff run and nobody showed up. And to all the so-called Shocker fans, where were you people before 2006, because I remember some teams from the late 90’s and early 2000’s and maybe 4 or 5 thousdand would show up for home games!!! So before you try to talk yourself into this being a sports town, look at the reality. Hell, the KS Sports Hall Of Fame can’t even make any money here!!!
See, the problem with those other teams is that we don’t have a vested interest in their success.
Let me explain:
I am a Wichita State graduate. I apply for a job in another state. My resume clearly states that I’m a WSU grad, but my potential new boss has no idea where that is or if it’s a crap school. Prior to the Shockers’ crazy NCAA tournament run, this may very well be the case.
Sports teams create publicity. Publicity creates recognition. And recognition creates credibility. Unless your college is known for a particular area of expertise and you happen to be in that area, chances are people have no way to gauge the quality of education you received. Although they have absolutely nothing to do with that quality, athletic programs, particularly ones that do well, enhance outsiders’ perceptions of a particular institution. It gives them a pool of knowledge, albeit a shallow one, to draw from.
Plus. It’s a damn good time. But that should go without saying.
;]
^ No truer statement has ever been said than this comment. Amen.
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