Being a Wildcat

[boat343]

After reflecting on the roller coaster ride that was the McKenzie recruitment, I decided to write this. UofA has never been a five star kinda place. I know it’s cool to get caught up in this stuff and dream, I am as guilty as anyone. And we hang our heads and kick the dirt because we feel fate will never bring us a Rose Bowl until we land a five star recruit. And I’ve even seen a lot of negative attitude about our past and tradition. But I’m here to tell you, there is a TON to be proud of when it comes to Arizona football.

People say I'm pretty pessimistic about everything. My response is "I grew up on Wildcat football. What do you expect?" haha. So, now that the dust has settled and all the super-charge positive folks out there are as let down as a kid who got a game boy instead of X-Box on Christmas, let the older Wildcat fans help pick up the pieces now. If you will indulge me a moment and read my ridiculously long post, I'd like to share why we shouldn't worry too much about this recruiting non-sense. Here is a run down of why I love being a Wildcat and could really care less about all this "we need five stars to compete for championships" nonsense.

In the 80's we played the almighty Notre' Dame down here. My dad was at that game. Every seat filled in a time when you could drink in the stadium and it was LOUD; people overflowing from the corridors to watch Notre Dame scrape by their teeth. The following year Arizona went up to South Bend and broke ND's hearts and chances for a title with a 50+ yard game winning field goal from the foot of Max Zendejas. I had a professor who said he had a friend at that game. He said Notre Dame fans stood up and clapped after that kick.

During that same decade Bill Switzer brought his 6th ranked Sooners to Tucson. They too scraped by us the year before up in Norman. Those Wildcats shocked the nation beating the Sooner machine in defensive slugfest 6-3.

In 1981 UofA went into the Colosseum and squared off with the mighty #1 ranked USC Trojans. Arizona rallied down 10-0 to shock the Trojans. Coach John Robinson was so impressed by Arizona's fight he walked into a loud, boisterous Arizona locker room and proclaimed "you boys celebrate. You deserve it."

I've heard Lee Corso's infamous pre-game predictions was aided in gaining notoriety by the Wildcats. In 1992 Lee Corso said the Desert Swarm defense was gonna be too much for the #1 ranked Washington Huskies. People balked at him. He was right... I was a kid when I watched Don James' indestructible force have to fight to gain an inch on any play. UofA gashed their title hopes and sent them back to Seattle with a sobering 16-3 loss.

We had a three-year series with Miami when they were "THE U." In '91 they buried a young Arizona team that featured no-name guys (at the time at least) like freshmen Teddy Bruschi, Tony Bouie, Chuck Levy and the likes of Sophomores like Rob Waldrop. In '92 that same young Arizona team traveled back to play the #1 ranked Hurricanes. I read an account of that game. Heath Bray said not one person in that stadium respected them. Even the security guards made fun of them as they walked out. At midfield for the coin toss UofA players went to shake the hands of the Hurricane captains. In line with who they were, the Hurricanes showed no respect and put their hands behind their back. UofA linebacker Charlie Camp had to be contained and a brawl at midfield broke out. And so the Desert Swarm defense was born.

Arizona's defense shut down every weapon they had. They were popping them at every turn. Down 7-8, kicker Steve McLaughlin lined up for a 50 yard game winning field goal that sailed wide. The 'Canes survived and went on to share the NC with Washington that year. But, as luck would have it for the 'Canes, they had to deal with Desert Swarm one more time the following year when they came back to the desert for a date with the Wildcats in the Fiesta Bowl. They met the Desert Swarm at it's peak, and it was not pleasant for them... the 'Canes played two QBs that year. By halftime both their jerseys looked like they just rolled around in the dirt for the day. The commentators joked "neither of these QBs can do anything. Miami is gonna have to find volunteers to play QB the second half."

And that is who we are. A gritty, gutty group of guys, tough as nails, and they don't give a damn what name is on your jersey. Our teams are, and always have been, a rag-tag group of guys that nobody wanted. But, I promise you this: WHOEVER comes into Arizona stadium better have it strapped on and ready to battle. "You're the number 1 team in the country? Well, we're the team that nobody knows about who is gonna pop you in the mouth for four quarters and we'll let the scoreboard worry about the rest."

Teddy Bruschi was a kid whose biggest offer was San Jose State. His coach called Dick Tomey and said you gotta see this kid. He's gotta a motor like I've never seen. I watched Bruschi run circles around blue chip OTs, crawling on his stomach to grab a shoelace to get a sack. Joe Salavea broke his arm in a game. He told the doctor's "tape this up. I got a game to play." Chuck Cecil was a small safety who didn't have a major offer. He was essentially forced out of the NFL because he was too mean. His play helped usher in the targeting rule.

It's not only about winning championships, being a contender, or getting some primadonna five star who feels he is so important to the world that he needs an ESPN audience to pick his school. This is college football. It's about pride, tradition, representing who you are. That is what it's about. Or at least it should be...

Samuel Morrison tweeted the other day that "he is never gonna take his Arizona hat off." For those of you that don't know, Morrison's father is Darryl Morrison, who played DB on that Desert Swarm defense that fought #1 Miami to a last second field goal, and then whipped #1 Washington the next year (and returned an a$$ whipping to Miami just to settle the score). I'm more excited to have Morrison than any other recruit. I wouldn't trade him for McKenzie or any other damn kid that needs a TV audience to pick a school.

I told you how being a 'Cat fan has made me rather pessimistic. But that isn't all I've got from growing up watching them.

Right after high school I enlisted and did two tours in Iraq. My second tour was in Fallujah - hulking around 80 pounds of gear in the dead of summer in the most God forsaken city on the planet. It took every ounce of grit and fight I had to stay sane sometimes. But I found it. We all did. I can’t speak what got others through, but I think I know what got me through.

Growing up there were two things that I idolized that inspired and reminded me to always be tough and fight as hard as I can, regardless of the size of the obstacle or giant in front of me: My Father and Arizona Wildcat football. I don’t think I would have gained much growing up if my favorite team featured a bunch of physically superior athletes who won 10 out of 11 games with ease every year. That would be conditioning to expect things to come easy and never learning to deal with heartbreak. And that’s not life. But watching Teddy Bruschi claw his way to a QB on his hands and knees taught me something. Watching a bunch of unheralded guys go out and beat a national champion taught me something. And dealing with heart-breaking losses when we’ve been so close also taught me something.

I will always have an unwavering love and devotion for this team; They were a great role model for a kid growing up who would end up battling in a hellhole.

Rich Rodriguez and company are the coaches who can bring back what we had in the 80's and 90's under Smith and Tomey. Like everyone else, I too get wrapped up thinking about nabbing a bunch of five-stars and competing for championships year-in-and-year-out. But, I realized today that I like what we have going here. Actually I love it. I love the idea of "OKGs." We’ve slayed giants with OKG’s before. Our boys aren't gonna wow anyone with loads of offers, accolades and stars following their name. But watch them fight... watch them "fight like Wildcats."

So bring those teams full of five-stars on down to Tucson. They might leave with sore a%^ and broken dreams.

McKenzie is great kid and a rare talent; and he is going where he belongs. Samuel Morrison is great kid who will play his heart out and bleed for this team; and is coming right where he belongs. I wouldn’t want it any other way. Bear Down!

[jollything]

Great post.

I've been going to games since I was a kid, sitting in the nosebleeds in the late 80's early 90's watching the Desert Swarm, watching some of our best teams. The Cats have never been handed anything, and that's what has given us the "punch you in the mouth" attitude that has given us our best teams.

Capture that attitude with the OKG's coming in this year, and we just might get something special. I fully believe we can win every game on the schedule (not saying we will). Just that these guys have the ability to go out there and win any game they play. Between Football and Basketball, the next few years may just be some of the best the athletic dept. has ever had.

Bear Down!

[Merkin]

Great post Boat.

Brought back a lot of great memories, however I tend to be very pessimistic about UA football too. Just never have been able to get to the next level. Seemed the program was just cursed. No sole conference championships in all the WAC and PAC years. No UA QB ever took a NFL snap in the PAC-10 era. Fortunately Nick Foles broke that in the PAC-12 era, and only because Matt Scott shit his pants as a true freshmen, otherwise we may have never seen Foles play.

Also, thank you for your service!

[BearDown89]

They oughta put that post up in the locker room boat343. I hope they read it.

I remember every bit of it. Great stuff.

[TuiTouchdown]

Great fuckin' post. Bear down!

[teemackdee]

I'm excited about football season after reading that post, and I was mostly in basketball mode still. Great job boat343!

[Puerco]

Great stuff, boat. Pisses me off to be that way, but great stuff.

[azthrillhouse]

Thanks for your service, Boat.

Great post - I have been a Cat fan since '86 and you capture a lot of what it means to follow Arizona football.

If we are the scrappy underdogs but can win a couple of conference championships being that way (i.e. just getting over that final hump that the 93 and 99 teams (among others) couldn't) then that's the ideal. Unexpectedly winning largely through heart and guile instead of pure talent is the best feeling as a fan.

However, deep in my bones I crave, I NEED a conference championship (more specifically, I need 3 - one more than the Scummies). If we are not quite as scrappy because we are simply more talented.....I'll make that tradeoff.

Not saying I want us to cheat or bring in "turds" just to increase the talent level - but I'll take a scenario where we build a team of MacKenzies and Tabors and win championships over our historical scrappitude. Whether that's possible or not....I guess we'll find out.

[JAX83]

Great post! BTFD!

People always ask why I'm an Arizona fan living in Nebraska. This is exactly why. You get these teams that are so damn cocky, and everything should just be handed to them. Not Arizona. We will punch you in the mouth and take your best shot and keep coming for more.

Thanks for your service!

[CalStateTempe]

Hell Yeah!

Bear Down! Love this post.

[RazorsEdgeAZ]

Thx for the post "Boat".

I'm a forum newby (any forum) so my intention not to offend or disrespect. Just
post my opinion. Maybe start a dialog where fans stand in terms of expectations.

I related to much of what Boat shared. I'm also a long-time fan AND will always
be a devoted UofA sports fan, no matter what record, standing, recruiting class,
coaches or admin. I share most of those same experiences and heartbreak. Proud to
claim I attended every one of the Duel in the Desert games during "The Streak".
At times, I sat in ASU student section proudly wearing my UA gear and proudly
took the abuse.

Although the 1982 win over ND the most thrilling AZ football memory for me (with
Chuck Cecil's 106 INT running towards me where I sat in the End zone a very close
2nd), it's not my favorite. My favorite was the tie game during the streak. Yup
the tie game. I was taking crap from ASU fans all game. How the streak was
"over". But when the ASU punter muffed the snap, I was literally surrounded by
ASU fans on their knees who had collapsed, gasping and moaning. All avoiding eye
contact with me. That was special.

But that was long time ago. Desert Swarm was looong ago. My desire is for UA to
have BOTH OKG's AND a Rose Bowl berth. For me, it doesn't have to start with
Rose. How about building up towards the Alamo, Holiday or Kraft bowls? A
Foundation.

That Sam Morrison tweet was awesome!!! Love that commits with family ties/history
with UA choose UA.

It's been a long-time with very few winning conference records (twice since
1999). Don't want to settle for being the "Indiana", "Minn" or "Illinois" of the
B1G Unless UA coaches or Admin state that what Arizona is. Then I'll accept it. But
that's not what UA staff selling (cue the #NewNormal vid where RichRod asks how
long to get to the Rose Bowl). So as a loyal fan, I'm buying their ambition to
reach new heights. Which comes with hopes and expectations.

I'm not a big fan of recruiting services and star ratings. They can be way off
with each other and with inividual players. But The more I study them, the more
as a whole class rating I find where there is correlation with Pac12 standings
and bowls. Closest UA came to Rose Bowl 2009 (at least this millenium) and the
only two years since 1999 with conference winning records came after the two best
ranked (Scout) recruiting class UA had - 2005 (3rd Pac12 3.38 avg star rating)
and 2006 (2nd Pac12 3.33 rating). 2007 had 3.06 with only 16 commits.

There's "only" been 5 different teams this millenium go to rose bowl. They had
well over an average 3.00 star class rating (can't research prior years avg
rating with WSU 2003 or WU 2001)

UA has had 4 recruiting classes this millenium avg 3.00 rating or better. 2005,
2006, 2007 and 2014. Why I'm surprised 2015 class not holding steady with rating.

Does it mean no Future Rose imminent for the Cats. NO! Does UA need more 4
and maybe a 5 star to get to Rose? I'm not sure, probably. But the odds getting there w/o...

I'm a big fan of RR and Co, Greg Byrne too. Hope they stay for long time. Part of why I like them is they have high expectations and as a fan, I've adopted the same.

Look, I'm not trying to be all scientific AND NOT claiming fan despair. I'm a fan
first, regardless. I tried for over a year at TOS to "contribute" in a forum
(Moderation black hole). Hoping this forum becomes the "Best" most active forum
for football of them all.

[azcat49]

Well done Boat and lets get this thing started already!

[boat343]

Thank you all for the positive feedback, and for taking the time to read it. It is greatly appreciated. I'm excited about the future. I think we are going to see a return the days of old.

[Captcarnage]

Awesome post. I need to show this to my parents. This will help them understand why I came home from football and basketball games barely able to speak...

[ANGCatFan]

Great Berk Star article on Arizona players lifting for life. Small excerpt, so read the whole thing!

Andrew was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when he was 3 months old and has been in and out of the hospital for his entire life. He has had more than 30 kidney stones removed from his body, has been diagnosed with diabetes and has searched for a doctor who would tell him he was a candidate for a lung transplant.

He calls being in the hospital “like being in prison” and is still grieving over the death of his mother three years ago.

Life for Andrew, an 18-year-old Tucson native, has been unfairly cruel.

But he proudly wears his Arizona gear for a reason: The Wildcats have made his life better.

Andrew has posed for pictures with Lute Olson, has played video games with UA football players and has talked about helmets with Ka’Deem Carey. He stood in the first row for three-plus hours in the rain and cold to watch his favorite team upset Oregon at Arizona Stadium last year and fell to his knees in his living room when Nick Johnson couldn’t get off a last-second shot against Wisconsin in the Elite Eight.

“Every game, every sport, we’re in our living room watching the Wildcats,” Andrew said. “I have to keep my dad up for the late games, but we watch them all.

“When I was 10, I went to my first football game and they played Washington. The energy of the crowd is what made me like it so much. Everyone was jumping around and yelling. That’s when I really got into sports.”

The Arizona football team entered Andrew’s life at the perfect time. Not only was he still dealing with the loss of his mother, he had just been told by doctors in Tucson that he would not qualify for a lung transplant.

“I was just like, ‘What am I going to do?’ ” Andrew said. “It made me so depressed. I didn’t know what was next.”

With renewed hope, Andrew has turned a lot of his focus to helping others with cystic fibrosis.

That’s why today is so important.

He’ll be at Lowell-Stevens Football Facility at 8 this morning to watch the UA players participate in a fundraising event called “Lift for Life.” Arizona’s football team has spent the past few weeks raising money for cystic fibrosis research. Today, they’ll face off in a conditioning and weightlifting competition, with the winners — the team will be split into eight groups — earning a day off from conditioning.

[ANGCatFan]

University of Arizona Football

Great action shots of Jonathan McKnight from J and L Photography at today's Uplifting Athletes' Lift for Life to benefit Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - Tucson Chapter! There's still time to pledge: http://tinyurl.com/oncdwfr

#BearDown

University of Arizona Football

J and L Photography is at it again! Great images from today's Uplifting Athletes Lift for Life. Full gallery later today. #BearDown

[youtube]iueKxJFTHeM[/youtube]

[ANGCatFan]

Brad Allis with a very good story on Jake Fischer and his life after football.

“I gave my mind, my body, my soul, I gave everything I had to the game and I got as much out of it as I possibly could,” Fischer said. “I tell kids you don’t want to look back and say ‘hey I could have done this.’ No regrets in life. That kind of mentality translates later in life. You want to give everything you’ve got. There is no other way to be successful in life.”

“I want people to know that I gave it my all,” Fischer said. “I wasn’t the biggest, the fastest the strongest, but I gave it my all.”