Happy Birthday, Allen Fieldhouse

Kansas faced George Washington – we went during winter break. The game was far from a sellout. My dad ordered tickets by phone and we picked them up at will call. Sat in the chair backs on the west side – can’t do that anymore.
Was a great team to see – Manning, Dreiling, Kellogg, Turgeon and Archie Marshall. Those guys went all the way to the Final Four and the days Allen Fieldhouse being half-full were gone after that.
The fieldhouse felt old back then – still was used as an indoor track and didn’t have the modern restrooms and concession stands we enjoy today. Been a couple years since I’ve seen a game but am happy with the recent renovations and hope it makes it many more decades.

My top two games would have to be…

Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd coming to town.

Kareem Rush and Clarence Gilbert’s coming in with Missouri and getting smacked around. Gilbert had a good game as I recall, but we won so there’s that.

was watching Pitino cry as KU smacked around his Kentucky Wildcats 150-95.

Just seemed like Downtown Terry Brown couldn’t miss a 3.

I was talking with a neighbor who lives up the street from me last night. I was wearing a Kansas t-shirt (footbal 2008 if you really want to know). He made a comment that his boss is a Jayhawk. Turns out his boss is David Booth. I found out that Naismith’s rules are currently at David’s home. I told him: “tell your boss to send them to Allen Fieldhouse as soon as possible – along with some more money!”.

He said he would. :-)

actually came during the Women’s NIT final in 2009.

I debated in college, which really limited by ability to attend games. We traveled across the country to debate most weekends during the basketball season. I worship the Fieldhouse and adore the men’s basketball team, but, oddly enough, my best moments with one never really involved the other.

The first time I entered the Phog was in October 1997 for an exhibition game between the Chicago Bulls and Seattle SuperSonics. (How’s this for a picture of greatness?) My family was able to make it to a few KU games that were especially meaningful to us—we lived in Manhattan and my parents graduated from Fort Hays State. But my time on KU’s campus as a student from 2004 to 2009 was unfortunately bereft of any meaningful moments with the basketball team in the Fieldhouse. Rather, my fondest memory was the product of the greatest luck: a friend’s sister got left over comp tickets to the 2008 Final Four from her law firm, my friend’s first choice couldn’t go, and I was next in line.

In the spring of 2009, the KU women’s basketball team hosted the WNIT finals. My debate partner and I had just won KU Debate’s fifth national title. You can imagine our excitement when we were invited to be honored at the game—college debate is not often done to much fanfare. During the first timeout, we were introduced at mid-court with Chancellor Bob, and the sellout crowd gave us a standing ovation. I couldn’t wipe the stupid grin from my face for weeks.

While I wish I went to more games as a student, I think that my experiences demonstrate the true beauty and power of the Phog. From the beginning, it has never been about winning basketball games—that’s just a byproduct. Allen Fieldhouse embodies the Jayhawk spirit: fierce loyalty, incredible passion, and an awesome appreciation of tradition. May both live on forever.

I was 12 but it was a blast. I got to see the ‘93-’94 team play at the high-school I would later attend. (Shawnee Mission South) They played a little scrimmage game there as part of a fundraiser. That was beyond incredible. $5 ticket if I remember correctly, to watch Greg Ostertag, Scot Pollard, Jacque Vaughn, Steve Woodberry, Greg Gurley (his cousin went to the high-school, which is why they played.), T.J. Whatley, and B. J. Williams. It kills me that I don’t have pictures of that. My first game at Allen Fieldhouse was a preseason game in 1999 but I was still blown away by the atmosphere.

I have also been fortunate enough to introduce three people to the old place for the very first time. It’s so much fun to sit back and watch their reactions to it all. It also make you realize just how special the place really is.

The one and only loss I have seen there was in Feb. 2001 to a ranked Iowa State team featuring Jamaal Tinsley. We lost 77-79 when Luke Axtell’s three missed from the right corner in the final seconds. It was funny too, those Iowa State fans were so cocky back then. I heard all manner of non-sense about how our reign was over and they would dominate the Big 12 from now on. But the best part was seeing them bounced in the first round of the tournament that year as a 2 seed to 15th seeded Hampton. I don’t usually delight in other’s missery (except mU) but I couldn’t help myself.

But I’ve never seen the Jayhawks lose in the Phog. In fact, I’d never witnessed a KU loss until the Davidson game at the Sprint Center this year.

The most exciting game I’ve seen there was the GT New Year’s game. I regret not going to more games there as a student, but it seemed like I was always working during our biggest games.

being a record but I’m curious if this needs any sort of validation. For example, if you want in the Guinness Book you typically need some sort of official to witness the event. Obviously there were plenty of witnesses but whose equipment registered the number and who saw the actual reading? I really want this to be the record but I want it to be backed properly too.

1. Senior night my freshman year when Raef Lafrentz gave his speech after beating K-State.

2. “Pants on backwards” game was great too because how often do you see a grown man put his shorts on the wrong way?

3. It was an early year game, but I will never forget seeing the Christian Moody fake pass to Giddens for 3 shot during the TCU game in 2004. I was sitting in the section straight across from the KU bench so I was in perfect position to see the entire sequence go down. It was awesome!

So my favorite was the 19-point comeback vs. UCLA in 1995.