I have been an avid lurker of this site for a while, but when I saw this thread I felt like I had to post. Hopefully this provides some insight into how I think and feel about the team.
To preface what I am about to say, I never grew up a Jayhawks fan as I wasn't originally from Kansas, and for the first half of my life, I couldn't call myself much of a fan of any sport. That changed when I transferred to the University of Kansas from Wichita State. After watching Wayne Simien's first exhibition game with a few of my friends and roommates. it was easy to see why the sport was so popular in Lawrence, and I was hooked. That said, it wasn't until conference play started in Spring semester that i really understood what it meant to be a fan of the program. My emotions towards the shortfalls and successes of the program certainly intensified, and as such a short lived fan of the program at that time, I had no way to qualify or quantify why they did. It just happened.
As I have gotten older, I've been able to put things into perspective much better than when I was a young college student. The highs aren't quite as high, but the lows don't hurt that bad like they did when I was at school. Even with this new found outlook on KU hoops, conference season still manages to get me red in the face, jump off my sofa, fist pump in the living room, yell profanities at the TV, and consume alcohol on work nights when I probably shouldn't. Familiarity breeds contempt, and even if as an adult, I can mask that contempt, it's definitely there...
So right now, conference season means the following to me:
1) Enjoying every conference win more than the non-con games, unless it's a win over the likes of UK, Duke, Michigan St, Arizona etc...
2) Absolutely dreading the losses. Losing to teams in conference is the worst. It's a lot harder to avoid the alumni at work and where I live after a conference loss.
3) Driving coworkers and friends that attended KSU crazy by not even bringing up a win over their program. Nothing pisses off little brother more than not giving a rat's if little brother even exists.
4) Keeping the liquor supply stocked to cope with the inevitable court storming.
5) Watching some of the games with the television muted, as the sound of KSU and ISU fans being happy grieves me. Obviously MIzzou used to fall into this bucket as well.
Since I have been a fan my favorite conference moments have been:
1) Drew Gooden spiking the ball on ISU's court in 2002 to the chagrin of Clowns nation.
2) Miles and Hinrich hitting those improbable three pointers at the end of the game in Methsewery in 2003.
3) Julian Wright's 360 dunk on UT for the Big XII ship, and his miserable dunk fail the next year against the Buffs.
4) The Brady Morningstar free throw.
5) Tyshawn Taylor putting it all together in 2012 just in time for conference season.
6) The come back from -19 against MU.
7) EJ dunking the ball at the end of OT in Ames.
Sorry for the lengthy first post, but figured this thread was the best way to introduce myself. Looking forward to talking hoops with everyone here.
