Bear Down Wildcats

So I'm feeling a bit nostalgic, so here we go.

Went to the old site for first time right as Gersh and Scheer were leaving and I started posting and was immediately called a "sock" by POM. I had no idea what that meant so I googled it and changed my avatar to a sock puppet. I then proceeded to get into arguments with every single long time poster, Chicat, 97, Scheer, Gumby, and so on and so on. I used to do it for my amusement as a lark, just to rattle the chains of others.

Then I realized something. People had the same disease that I had. The same passion that I felt. The same pain, literally pain, and sadness that I had every March/April (with the exception of one). There were people out there that were as insane as I was, and that had their own thoughts and opinions--to be mocked and ridiculed.

Seriously though...I don't know what happens going forward...don't know what direction people take or the program takes. But I do take solace that there is a contingent of fans out there that have enough passion and ideas and knowledge to have meaningful discussions about topics---topics not even related to basketball.

And for that I am thankful.

I don't know how much I'll be on going forward, time will tell. But thanks everybody.

Bear Down. Always.

Did you get into arguments with me and Merkin? I don't remember if so.

I don’t remember. I don’t think so...maybe over sitting vs. standing.

I was a stander before I invested in a bidet

Olsondogg wrote:So I'm feeling a bit nostalgic, so here we go.

Went to the old site for first time right as Gersh and Scheer were leaving and I started posting and was immediately called a "sock" by POM. I had no idea what that meant so I googled it and changed my avatar to a sock puppet.

I don't even remember this, it was so many thousands of posts ago, but it's funny that it made such an impression on you

Although, from your next sentence, perhaps changing your avatar to a troll would have been more appropriate for you at that time

Olsondogg wrote: I then proceeded to get into arguments with every single long time poster, Chicat, 97, Scheer, Gumby, and so on and so on. I used to do it for my amusement as a lark

Yeah I remember cause I even got my rep in red at some point and you PM me to stop or leave.

I remember you thought I was Percy.

Once we get through the currently unfolding developments, let's not forget to get back to that bidet issue.

Longhorned wrote:Once we get through the currently unfolding developments, let's not forget to get back to that bidet issue.

Life changer. And I’m willing to be banned for defending my opinion.

Been a great addition to the community Olsondogg, I remember when you joined and would get in those arguments. Great memories.

I joined that site as a 14 year old freshman in highschool. This has been my biggest passion and hobby since then. If they fire Miller i will be taking a break. I'm so grateful I found this community all those years ago and have been able to learn and grow so much with all of you. I've grown up with you all and have had an influence on who I've become as a man.

I love this community as much as my own family, could always come on here any time and feel at home no matter where I was. Thank you to all who have made this the best fan community for U of A athletics and more. BEARDOWN!

I would literally log on and look for someone to pick a fight with. I guess POM is correct, I was a troll.

Which is depressing considering trolls are what I literally cannot stand. I guess with age comes wisdom, or whatever.

Or perhaps I still pick fights...I dunno...everyone is the hero in their own story.

Olsondogg wrote:I would literally log on and look for someone to pick a fight with. I guess POM is correct, I was a troll.

Which is depressing considering trolls are what I literally cannot stand. I guess with age comes wisdom, or whatever.

Or perhaps I still pick fights...I dunno...everyone is the hero in their own story.

Well, you do use a bidet now, so I'd say that's some wisdom right there.

Longhorned wrote:Did you get into arguments with me and Merkin? I don't remember if so.

Only one I remember getting into non-political board wars with was CatFan or whatever his handle was. Think he was eventually banned. He loved Stoops and Canales for some reason.

Don't recall Killervibe wanting to meet my at the bike racks behind Circle K to work things out.

I have mad love for this community. This is why it was so sobering to get banned for a period last year. I was just being stupid. Learned my lesson, though. I try to engage these threads where I can and hope my stuff doesn’t rub anyone wrong. Whatever happens with Coach Miller, I’m not going anywhere. And I sure as hell won’t ever bet against my team again.

Bear down!

I lurked forever as someone who participated on another board. I posted, but not a lot. Then I got a good piece of information from the closest source you can have (better than Schlabach) that Nick was going to turn pro. I was called a loser, a child (that one always got me), and basically told I was wrong and knew nothing and...then it stopped. I pulled away, then started posting more when I had bits of info, and now I just use this as a sounding board for my obsession. I went all in on the purge, because I hated GOAZCATS and wanted very little to do with a Storey-run organization

Olsondogg wrote:I would literally log on and look for someone to pick a fight with. I guess POM is correct, I was a troll.

Which is depressing considering trolls are what I literally cannot stand. I guess with age comes wisdom, or whatever.

Or perhaps I still pick fights...I dunno...everyone is the hero in their own story.

If people are looking for fights, I'm in the mood to shed a little blood.

Maybe the answer to the current Arizona fan angst is Fight Club.

never imagined i'd still be here after so long. i started lurking about exactly 14 years ago as a senior in high school looking to bulk up on some wildcat history and knowledge before i started in the fall of 2004. started posting in late 2004.

I have family that worked in the AD under Byrne (I know, I know). That family member now works for Stanford.

If there's any dirt on Furd, I'll let you know. Hhahahhahha

GoAz freakin Cats. I actually discovered that site my Freshman year because some kid in front of me was on the site in class (thank you for whoever you are)(. Once I got on, my productivity in general decrease (this was around the time Lute to LOA).

This board is solid, but visiting other boards of other schools, GoAzCats was among the best. Just a shame it ended the way it did. Winger (and 97) was a poster that I probably respected the most there, rather I agreed with his takes on not.

From the "rep", to the visiting posters, to get premium, to the Tim Floyd pic, PGU shenanigans, to the Stay Tuned thread. What an epic sports board community. It's a deserted desert now. Well, maybe not deserted but nowhere near the volume as in the past.

I started looking over GoAzCats about my senior year of HS in 2012 for mainly football recruiting news. It was awesome before I got on randomly one day and everything had gone to shit. Thankful to whoever started this after that fiasco.

cats101 wrote:GoAz freakin Cats. I actually discovered that site my Freshman year because some kid in front of me was on the site in class (thank you for whoever you are)(. Once I got on, my productivity in general decrease (this was around the time Lute to LOA).

This board is solid, but visiting other boards of other schools, GoAzCats was among the best. Just a shame it ended the way it did. Winger (and 97) was a poster that I probably respected the most there, rather I agreed with his takes on not.

From the "rep", to the visiting posters, to get premium, to the Tim Floyd pic, PGU shenanigans, to the Stay Tuned thread. What an epic sports board community. It's a deserted desert now. Well, maybe not deserted but nowhere near the volume as in the past.

It’s like the fall of the Holy Roman Empire after the death of Charlemagne. Once multiple sons got involved, it could never be as great as it once was.

ByJoveByJingle wrote:

cats101 wrote:GoAz freakin Cats. I actually discovered that site my Freshman year because some kid in front of me was on the site in class (thank you for whoever you are)(. Once I got on, my productivity in general decrease (this was around the time Lute to LOA).

This board is solid, but visiting other boards of other schools, GoAzCats was among the best. Just a shame it ended the way it did. Winger (and 97) was a poster that I probably respected the most there, rather I agreed with his takes on not.

From the "rep", to the visiting posters, to get premium, to the Tim Floyd pic, PGU shenanigans, to the Stay Tuned thread. What an epic sports board community. It's a deserted desert now. Well, maybe not deserted but nowhere near the volume as in the past.

It’s like the fall of the Holy Roman Empire after the death of Charlemagne. Once multiple sons got involved, it could never be as great as it once was.

Now just you hold on one second there. While indeed the Germans did bomb Pearl Harbor, the Holy Roman Empire lasted over a thousand years after Charlemagne. He was the start of it.

No love for Otto III?

Longhorned wrote:

ByJoveByJingle wrote:

cats101 wrote:GoAz freakin Cats. I actually discovered that site my Freshman year because some kid in front of me was on the site in class (thank you for whoever you are)(. Once I got on, my productivity in general decrease (this was around the time Lute to LOA).

This board is solid, but visiting other boards of other schools, GoAzCats was among the best. Just a shame it ended the way it did. Winger (and 97) was a poster that I probably respected the most there, rather I agreed with his takes on not.

From the "rep", to the visiting posters, to get premium, to the Tim Floyd pic, PGU shenanigans, to the Stay Tuned thread. What an epic sports board community. It's a deserted desert now. Well, maybe not deserted but nowhere near the volume as in the past.

It’s like the fall of the Holy Roman Empire after the death of Charlemagne. Once multiple sons got involved, it could never be as great as it once was.

Now just you hold on one second there. While indeed the Germans did bomb Pearl Harbor, the Holy Roman Empire lasted over a thousand years after Charlemagne. He was the start of it.

No love for Otto III?

Check yourself. We ALL got love for Otto III.

Longhorned wrote:

ByJoveByJingle wrote:

cats101 wrote:GoAz freakin Cats. I actually discovered that site my Freshman year because some kid in front of me was on the site in class (thank you for whoever you are)(. Once I got on, my productivity in general decrease (this was around the time Lute to LOA).

This board is solid, but visiting other boards of other schools, GoAzCats was among the best. Just a shame it ended the way it did. Winger (and 97) was a poster that I probably respected the most there, rather I agreed with his takes on not.

From the "rep", to the visiting posters, to get premium, to the Tim Floyd pic, PGU shenanigans, to the Stay Tuned thread. What an epic sports board community. It's a deserted desert now. Well, maybe not deserted but nowhere near the volume as in the past.

It’s like the fall of the Holy Roman Empire after the death of Charlemagne. Once multiple sons got involved, it could never be as great as it once was.

Now just you hold on one second there. While indeed the Germans did bomb Pearl Harbor, the Holy Roman Empire lasted over a thousand years after Charlemagne. He was the start of it.

No love for Otto III?

Haha, I didn’t say it dissolved when he died . . . it just became beardownwildcats.com. May the empire reign for another 800 years, even in diminished form.

Time to get our children and grandchildren signed up to carry the torch.

If my memory serves me correct, I stumbled upon GoAZcats during the hiring process that eventually gave us CSM. And here we are, years later fighting and praying for CSM to remain our head coach. Great community of so many unique individuals, with our immeasurable love for Arizona basketball being the one thing that keeps us coming back.

zonagrad wrote:Time to get our children and grandchildren signed up to carry the torch.

My kids think I'm a dork for hanging out on a message board.

UAEebs86 wrote:

zonagrad wrote:Time to get our children and grandchildren signed up to carry the torch.

My kids think I'm a dork for hanging out on a message board.

My dad went to Washington St and spent a lot of his time on Cougfan. I always thought he was a loser... Now look at me...

I was at GoAzCats from day one. It was basically a spin-off of CatTracks. CatTracks was run by Doug Carr. And Brad Allis and John Schuster were their major writers. Ben Hansen was included later. When Jim Storey started GoAZCats he took Ben Hansen with him and hired Josh Gershon. Jason Sheer came later. (WilltheThrill32, AZCats07, NobodyBetter). I'm not sure if Josh's handle is quite right. I can't believe I've been active in UA message boards for close to 15-20 years.

I joined GoAzCats back in 2005. Had a lot of good times on there. Some great threads (some basketball, some not). Some great socks I remember too (Jerryd’s Kids, EMFM). I remember the chaos that happened when the staff left for scout. It was great to find this site and i know it will continue to thrive. Our community is second to none.

rgdeuce wrote:If my memory serves me correct, I stumbled upon GoAZcats during the hiring process that eventually gave us CSM. And here we are, years later fighting and praying for CSM to remain our head coach. Great community of so many unique individuals, with our immeasurable love for Arizona basketball being the one thing that keeps us coming back.

I think that's how I got involved too. I was desperate for news on the search and found rumors.

I wish someone had preserved the Miller to NC State thread from the old board. There was gold in that thread. I can still drop Shay Binion references, but no one around to hear them knows what they're about.

Who remembers braintrust from the GOAZCATS days? Now that is some nostalgia.

Spaceman Spiff wrote:

rgdeuce wrote:If my memory serves me correct, I stumbled upon GoAZcats during the hiring process that eventually gave us CSM. And here we are, years later fighting and praying for CSM to remain our head coach. Great community of so many unique individuals, with our immeasurable love for Arizona basketball being the one thing that keeps us coming back.

I think that's how I got involved too. I was desperate for news on the search and found rumors.

I wish someone had preserved the Miller to NC State thread from the old board. There was gold in that thread. I can still drop Shay Binion references, but no one around to hear them knows what they're about.

The spreadsheet.

I had a friend at the Vegas coaches camp where Miller went from his speech to the meeting with Mayor McCheese and Maryland. She got a picture with him. I was following every board and some better sources back then and she kept texting me "I am about to meet Miller...should I take a picture or kick him in the balls?" I don't know!

She got the last picture with him as he was leaving the floor. He looks...distracted. For a moment, I thought she had the last picture of CSM as a Wildcat.

Now, I have to stomach some stock photo or a lawyer meeting as his last pic as a Wildcat. Fuck this.

But, yeah...this community, though I was only lurking, was on a F5 button stress test during that.

I can't even remember when I made my way to GoAZ. I was on a board with the guy that was crazy from Utah or something. He was complaining about GoAZ, so I went to check it out...and was like "hey this place it cool, and you are crazy." Damn, cannot remember his name. Dude had made up girlfriends, and had some story about being bullied or something...

FTR ODogg, you use to troll my posts hard. I was always wondering what the hell I did to you that pissed you off so much. But I was younger and dumber back then, so I probably glady engaged with your trolling.

Also FTR, my wife still refers to anyone name Earl as EMF[fill in the last name here].

f5-fuck

f5-ugh

f5-come on

f5-really?

f5-huh.

f5-jesus christ

TucsonClip wrote:Who remembers braintrust from the GOAZCATS days? Now that is some nostalgia.

I remember Braintrust, officer craig, and 97Cats legendary Friday night Q and A

Lando05 wrote:

TucsonClip wrote:Who remembers braintrust from the GOAZCATS days? Now that is some nostalgia.

I remember Braintrust, officer craig, and 97Cats legendary Friday night Q and A

That shall forever live in internet infamy.

TucsonClip wrote:Who remembers braintrust from the GOAZCATS days? Now that is some nostalgia.

Are you revealing yourself to be BT? Hahaha

Quality of content fits.

The late night Delete threads were legend. Basically put a running timer on it and people said and posted the craziest shit because they knew it was getting deleted.


I joined GOAZCATS the weekend I was not able to attend my 22 year old cousins funeral. We were very close, but my only backup at work had requested the weekend off to go to UCLAs homecoming football game. He flat refused to swap. So after work I sat and read and finally had enough of Pom Pom Pizzy and joined to tell him off, for good and forever that Mate Fucking Robinson would never be drafted into the NBA and laid out the entire case. Ben threw his arm around my shoulder and at that moment I felt like I’d found Home.

Shut up. I’m not crying. You’re crying.

I found goazcats after the Illinois debacle spring of 2005. Needed to find others to cope with that immense amount of pain that my real life friends didn’t understand. Been with you bastards ever since!

Jesus JMark, that guy you worked with was an asshole.

Olsondogg wrote:I would literally log on and look for someone to pick a fight with. I guess POM is correct, I was a troll.

If you mean killervibe, then yes, you were a troll. KV was the Rosetta Stone of trolldom. Turns out that was the only way he could express himself, as is the case with so many American @$$holes.

I guess I've reconciled myself to being the Father Mulcahy of this community. An observer in the beginning, joined the old guard a year or so in to bring civility and an old school perspective (believe it or not, based on the stuff Auercat would roll out), saw role increase through the transition to the new show only to settle down and be background noise generally, of sporadic comfort in unusual ways to a broad array of posters.

Your passion has been second-to-none in this community, ODogg. There is truth and conviction behind it, which is hard to maintain in our heated moments we just want to vent.

phenom5 wrote:Jesus JMark, that guy you worked with was an asshole.

His name was Nick. But everybody called him Dick.

I offered to work weekends for two months. He simply had to got to that fucking football game.

I think George is still the only person I’ve met.

Man I’ve been here for a long freaking time

16 years and counting for me. Catgrad97, Chicat, Jmark, asuhater and scumdevil, Piece of Meet and his gun to the head emoji, so much history, Azgirl, uastacey, walk on wildcat, and of course who can forget rep lol

JMarkJohns wrote:

TucsonClip wrote:Who remembers braintrust from the GOAZCATS days? Now that is some nostalgia.

Are you revealing yourself to be BT? Hahaha

Quality of content fits.

Definitely not me. Just remembering the good ol times. Wasnt everyone under the impression it was Roz or Pastner?

My first AZ community was in '95 on oldAOL Boards...

.. I've always and only been "pc in NM" since through all the different sites.

While many had their moments, and occasional high points, this site has been the best combo of sports boards, off-topic discussion and community....

My participation has fallen off, though I've tried to keep up with reading....

This week has been a throwback.

I’ve been posting with many of you for too many years to count and although I have only actually met about 4-5 of you, I honestly consider so many of you friends

Bear Down

I always thought braintrust was Roz

I too did the AOL boards. Followed the 94 final four in a UA chat room. Then moved over to Cattracks in 2001, GoAz in 2005, and then accidentally started BDW in 2014. Time fucking flies.

JMarkJohns wrote:I think George is still the only person I’ve met.

On one of my yearly trips to Tucson, I hit up the thrift stores to find UA clothing for cheap. The cashier at the downtown (or 6th Ave) Goodwill goes: "Hey, aren't you Merkin from Goazcats?"

"Yea"

"it's me ___________".

Drawing a complete blank who that was now, but it will come to me.

Only other poster I have met.

Friends with a bunch of old timers on FB though. Klaudija has a beautiful baby girl.