Born to be a Wildcat

So with the upcoming final four game against Louisville this Saturday I had to write something so I could remember this occasion vividly 10 years from now. People used to tell me in high school I was born knowing where I was going to go to college and to be honest, I think they were right. My dad went to UK, my mom went to UK, my brother went to UK, my parents met here, my mom, brother, and I all lived in the same dorm during our times at UK, and my dad even proposed to my mom in the basement of that very dorm. Let's just say that my family has a deep UK tradition. There is one thing however that my parents and brother share in common with their experience at UK and that is, they have all gotten to experience an NCAA championship. Now if you're from the state of Kentucky or have any idea about Kentucky basketball that is something that you remember and cherish for a lifetime. People mark that down as one of the greatest moments in their lives and never forget it. So this weekend is a very big weekend to me, as well as many other UK fans. But what people who aren't UK fans don't seem to understand is the love people have for UK basketball and their school. I'm not talking about the wishy-washy fans who only root for UK when they're doing well or the ones who see a bunch of UK t-shirts and decide that's going to be their team. I'm talking about people like me. The people who live and breathe Kentucky basketball all year long, the people who would do anything to win a national title, the people who have UK basketball games playing in the background of their home videos, the people who's parents would wake them up the next day to the words "Kentucky won" (something my dad did when Kentucky won in '98), and the people who love UK with their whole being. It sounds ridiculous I know, but it's true, and it's something every UK fan is proud of. We love our school with everything we have, we would fight to the death for it. Being a Kentucky fan is not just a title, but it truly is a way of life. It's always choosing the color blue over red, it's basing your schedule around the times of UK games, it's teaching your kids the CATS cheer when they learn to talk, it's sitting out in a tent for 3 long days so you can watch the first practice of the year, it's getting goosebumps every time you walk into Rupp Arena or hear "On, On UofK," it is so much more than being just a fan for 5 months out of the year. So I when I ask the good Lord for a championship this year it's not just so we can rub it in the Louisville fans faces and all the other haters (although that is a plus), it's not just so we can claim we are truly the best, it's because I love Kentucky with my whole heart and it is truly a part of who I am.