Being Thankful

Let's see--

Three Final Fours in the last Three Years ?

A shot at a National Title in 2011? 

Terrific Student-Athletes to support?

Top Notch Coaches?

Premier matchups coming up soon?

Yep, let's all be thankful!

Rethinking Orrange

My last blog was bemoaning that the Orange in my wardrobe was running into Basketball season.  And we all know what Orange means during Basketball season.

But do we know what ORRANGE means in Basketball season?  Next year, we are going to find out!

I must admit to being a fan of basketball names so when I first heard of Amber Orrange, it stuck in my mind.  Now that she is coming to the Farm, I guess we will all have to adjust to having a little Orrange in our lives.  I know I will be ready!

Orrange you glad she's coming to Stanford?

Getting My Orange On

Something very strange happened this year--you all know what it is.  The Giants, yes our Giants, won the World Series.  I am pretty sure it is because I watched almost every game plus Kayla threw out a First Pitch, so that sealed the deal.  For a lifelong fan, it was absolute KISMET.

But I must say, this exhilarating run has put me into quite a quandry.  I have noticed that quite a bit of Orange has been sneaking into my wardrobe.

In Baseball, Orange means everything Giants, at least as far as I am concerned.  And since the Giants are usually done by early October, I can safely put my Orange away before Basketball season.  Because we all know what Orange means in Basketball Season and I don't like to touch the stuff.  But with this run, the seasons have bumped right up against each other.  So please forgive me if I wear just a little Orange as the season starts--I promise to snap out of it soon!

This was an almost perfect year of fandom--National Championship game and a World Series victory.  I'm thinking that this Bay Area Magic just might continue into 2011 for the Cardinal.  Anyone up for a parade?

Tip It to Tip Off the Season

The Summer is speeding by (weren't we just in San Antonio?) and before you know it, it will be Basketball season!  So to get in the get ready position, plan now to attend what has become a

Fast Break Club tradition--our Wine Social! 

Sunday, September 12, 2-4 pm at Vino Locale in Palo Alto.  All the details and the sign up form are here.  It is always a great day with a chance to catch up with FBC friends and visit with the coaching staff.

Our friends at Vino Locale always take excellent care of us and they are HUGE Stanford fans.  In fact, they will donate 10% of all bottle sales during our event to Stanford Athletics--how about that?  To get an idea of what will be in store, check out this review that just appeared in the Mountain View Voice.

Fans of Kathy Griffin might know that I stole the Tip It in the title from her Mom's ability to squeeze the last drop out of a wine box by tipping it.  But I promise--no Box Wine at this event!

What's Up for Next Season?

                                         

I know, I know--the season just got over.  But it is never too early for us to start working on some FBC events for next season. 

We have decided to give the auction a hiatus for one year.  Sometimes, things can get a little stale and just need a break.  We do plan to bring it back in 2011-12.  For next year, we are exploring the possibility of running an online auction for items such as uniforms and Sit on the Bench opportunities.  Stay tuned for details as they become available.

Back again will be our popular Wine Social.  Mark your calendar now for Sunday, September 12, 2-4 pm, at Vino Locale in downtown Palo Alto. Last year, over 70 FBCers and the coaching staff got together for what has become a wonderful way to get in the get ready position for the upcoming season. 

Good friends, good fun, good food, good wines! 

After one year off, we are going to bring back the Shootathon!  We are targeting the October/November time frame and Coach Amy is checking for the best date.  We'll keep you posted as we get more details. 

That is what Fundraising has planned so far, but we have a few more things that we will be working on to spice it up a little.  Keep checking in to the FBC website during the summer to see what else is coming our way! 

WNBA on the way!

The WNBA season starts this Saturday, May 15 with a national broadcast of the Phoenix LifeLocks against the Los Angeles Farmers.  (I make fun, but if these sponsorships keep the WNBA going, I'm all for it!)

There are presently four Stanfordians in the WNBA and each is in a position to make a run at the WNBA title this year.

Can it be that Nicole Powell is the most senior Stanford player in the WNBA?  As sad as it was that the Monarchs folded after last season, it is very exciting that Nicole has landed with the Libs.  As you can see above, she is front and center in their marketing plans and the team is much improved this year.  By making a blockbuster trade for All-Star Cappie Pondexter, the Liberty solidified the point guard position that has been up in the air since the trade of Becky Hammon.  Janel McCarville is improving every year and should share the post with veteran Taj McWilliams-Franklin.  Add that Anne Donavan will be on the bench (albeit for just this year before she departs to coach Seton Hall) and the Liberty will be a compelling team to watch.

Candice Wiggins is entering her third year in the WNBA.  Unfortunately, she had arthroscopic surgery for a small meniscal tear in her right knee on April 28, that will keep her sidelined for up to four weeks.  Hopefully, she will be back in action during the first week of play.  The Lynx pulled off a blockbuster of their own in acquiring favorite daughter Lindsay Whalen from the Connecticut Sun in the trade that allowed the Sun to draft Tina Charles with the first pick this year.  While the excitement is high, there are lingering questions about the status of Seimone Augustus, who suffered an ACL injury last year and recently underwent surgery for fibroids.  If Seimone comes back strong, this could be an amazing team.  They added Monarch Rebekkah Brunson to an already good post rotation that includes Nicky Anosike and drafted Monica Wright from Virginia.  New coach Cheryl Reeves, a long time Shock assistant, will have plenty of options as the Lynx run for their first ever playoff berth--and should not be stopping there.

As this is written, Brooke is still on the Phoenix Mercury roster.  She looks to have a good chance to stick with only one other true center, Tangela Smith, on the roster.  Defending Champion Phoenix should be interesting this year, having traded away the aforementioned Pondexter.  But that move cleared money to resign Aussie Penny Taylor, who was key to their run last year.  In addition, it netted All-Star Candice Dupree and will allow Temeka Johnson to take over the point.  Oh, and don't forget that one player that they have that will light it up almost every night--Diana Taurasi.

Our Jayne is now in San Antonio--how odd is that?  But this could be a great fit for her, even if she has to wear number 32 in deference to Michelle Snow.  Last year's starting center, Ann Wauters, has decided not to play in the WNBA this year so the starting job will fall to Ruth Riley.  When Jayne is healthy (and all indications are that should be soon), she should be in a heavy rotation at the post.  The SASS are intriguing, with Becky Hammon, Sophia Young and loads of young talent.  It will also be Sandy Brondello's first year as a head coach as she takes over from now-GM only Dan Hughes. 

The demise of the 'Narchs has left us no easy drives to games, which is so unfortunate, considering the fervor the Bay Area has for women's basketball.  Of course, there are always road trips to be taken!  But there is a bunch of TV action listed here.  I see that they are not listing games that will be on NBA-TV, but many of the games that are listed for local TV often show up there.   The WNBA also offers free webcasts on their website here.  Tune in--maybe we'll have a WNBA Final Four with our four favorites!

Long Live the Tree!

Whenever you travel with the Cardinal, you get the same question.  The Final Four is the worst because there are so many people there and you tend to hang out in the same areas, like, say, the Riverwalk in San Antonio.  Of course, it could be stopped by not wearing Stanford gear, but that ain't gonna happen.

It usually goes like this--

Them: "Excuse me, but can I ask you a question?"
Me: "Sure." (depending on what they are wearing, there may be teeth gritting)
Them: "I know you are called the Cardinal, which I don't really understand, but what's with the Tree?"
Me: Sigh."

You might think I'm kidding, but this really is the thing that inquiring minds want to know about Stanford.  Not what offense they will run, not who is injured, not even how many Nobel prizes have been won--it is all about the Tree.

Explaining it can be tedious, but I dive in.

Me:  "It used to be the Stanford Indians but that was dropped in the 1970's.  From 1972 until November 17, 1981, Stanford’s official nickname was Cardinals, in reference to one of the school colors, not the bird."

Them: "OK, I think I get it, but what about the Tree?"

Me:  "Nine years after the Indian was dropped, Stanford had still not decided on a new mascot. President Donald Kennedy declared in 1981 that all Stanford athletic teams will be represented and symbolized exclusively by the color Cardinal.  He said it was a "vivid metaphor" for life."

Them: (nothing, the asker is getting glassy eyed)

Me:  "But the Cardinal is just for the sports teams and there isn't an official mascot for them.  The Tree is actually the mascot for the band."

Them: "Huh?"  (Now they are sorry they asked.)

Me:  "The Tree is a take off on El Palo Alto, the redwood tree which is the logo of the city of Palo Alto, which is where Stanford is located.  El Palo Alto is in the Stanford Seal and is still standing, but it's not in really good shape and they are trying really hard to preserve it."

Them: "Ok, thanks, but I gotta....." 

Me: "The Stanford Tree is not like other mascots because it changes every year and we are always interested in seeing the new Tree.  There is an intense competition to become the Tree and the winner makes a new costume for their time as the Tree."

Them: Silence.  (They are wondering if I am done.)

Me:  "So while your mascot is some stinky thing in a reused outfit that is never washed, we have a forest-fresh, new Tree often made from recycled material so we are green too."

That usually does it--a true Too Much Information situation.  Sometimes they thank me and wish Stanford good luck, sometimes they are just looking to escape.

At the Championship game, I saw a sign that said--"We have Maya and Tina, all you have is a Tree".  I wondered if this was someone who got my explanation.

Me: "Well, no, we have a great bunch of players.  But I am glad we have the Tree and its wacky history, too."

But next year, I swear, I am printing up cards to hand out each time I am asked!

Love Hurts

Feelings are not supposed to be logical.

Dangerous is the man who has rationalized his emotions.

                                          --David Borenstein

 
I have not been particularly rational since Tuesday night.  Sometimes, being a fan is tough.  Not anything like the players, coaches and families, to be sure.  But difficult, nonetheless.
 
I suppose it is because you travel a journey with a team.  Through their trials and triumphs, you see it all, read about it, think about it, talk about it.  And it is not just for that particular year--it is a culminaton of seeing individuals over four (or, in some cases, five) years. 
 
It probably wasn't logical to think that the Cardinal would beat UConn, but logic wasn't what was happening to this team.  I mean, come on!
 
--Beating both Duke and the Lady Vols  in one week
--Running the table in the PAC-10 and the conference tournament
--Ros' improbable 26 point Maples farewell
--Jeannette's breathtaking 4.4 dash
--Nneka's highest ever 38 semi-final points
--UConn's 12 first half points?  Impossible!  Maya Moore usually has that in the first five minutes all by herself! 
--Jayne pulling a Willis Reed by coming back time after time with an injury that was much worse than we knew
 
So it seemed, for a while, as if logic might just be oventaken by destiny.  Maybe that is what makes it hurt so much.  Because dreaming and defying logic is what makes being a fan so much fun.  Taking the lowest lows along with the highest highs are part of the deal, even if it doesn't feel so great at the time.
 
I know we will all miss Jayne (and her steadfast family!) and Ros and Michelle.  Even as new players come in and steal our hearts, our Alums always keep that special place which is developed over their careers.
 
As I sat on the Riverwalk on Monday, I reflected on how lucky I have been to follow this team through the years.  What great places I have visited and what wonderful friends I have mde and what terrific memories I have!  And even as I walked away from the Alamodome Tuesday in a bit of a fog, I knew one thing--I wouldn't have missed it for anything in the world.
 
 

When No Other Words Will Do

Sometimes, social media expressions are just the best. 

Succinct and to the point.

OMG! OMG! OMG!

And afterwards all I could do was

LOL!

so much that I hysterically

ROFL!

Then I started to think about the last few minutes of the game.

IIRC

a lot of players worked really hard to get

 that game to those final 4.4 seconds. 

A 3 pointer and block by Ros,

swooping shot by Jos,

and a jumper by Kayla that rattled in.

WTH

was with those foul calls on Jayne? 

I think only one of them was really a foul, but

NP

this is a TEAM, not just one individual!

IMHO and FWIW

this game will just make the Cardinal stronger!

Not sure who we will play next but I hope

WOOT!

I was

SMH

watching the post game (what little ESPN deemed to show).

Ros was bawling, Jeanette was in a daze,

Jayne was picking Nneka off of the floor.

BTW

I was wondering how the coaches could stay so

KL!

I would have been a complete

Noob! 

So, Card Fans

TYT

and savor this fab win, but not for too long.

Because we are TEXAS bound and

This is a team that

CSWS!

TCB

What does The Team have in common with Elvis? 

Just like Elvis, they are TAKIN' CARE of BUSINESS!

A few notes and thoughts--

---Ros!  Ros!  Ros!  Ros! Ros! She is forcing everyone to have to learn how to pronounce her name correctly!

--Was that the best Maples farewell performance ever?   Candice Wiggins' 44 points in 2008 is probably the winner, but, for shear unexpectedness, I'll take RGO.

--Gary Blair: "Folks I'm going to lobby here a little bit. You just saw two No. 2 seeds play. Doggone it, we've earned the right not to be in Geno's region."  How's that workin' for you?

--Arrived early for the Saturday game and spent some time sitting at a table by the new Track House.  The day was absolutely glorious--we are blessed.  Shopped for a Fear the Tree shirt and they were out of most sizes!  But found that they are still available here, in case you are interested.

--I must note that the lone upset that I picked correctly in the first round was the only one that I didn't have a reason for except cheese quality--Vermont over Wisconsin.  So much for all of my good knowledge.

--Note to teams down by 10 with less than 10 seconds to go--don't foul.

--Note to teams up by 10 with less than 10 seconds to go--don't shoot.

--Note to ESPN--please make the timeouts shorter.

--My NCAA seat put me up higher than my usual spot, which allowed me to see different things.  For example, I never noticed that the Tree has a hat!  I am certain that it is made of the same "fabric" as some of Kim Mulkey's clothes.  I am hoping that, in the spirit of greenness, she recycled some of her old stuff for the hat so that no Pleathers had to be killed.

--I really love our Band.  Usually the best time to watch them is while the opposing band is playing.  While the Iowa Band was rocking "Thriller", one of Stanford's tuba players was doing a great shimmy shake that was straight from the MJ video!  And he did it for the whole song! 

--UCLA tried to use a power play against Nebraska, but those crabby refs wouldn't let them play with six on the court.  I've never seen that one before! 

--Celebrity sightings--Jennifer Azzi, Sebnem Kimyacioglu, Clare Bodensteiner.

--And Marques Colston.  I didn't want to bother him, but finally couldn't stand it any longer--I HAD to talk to him.  So postgame, I thanked him for helping my Fantasy Football team and received the biggest smile ever.  A complete sweetheart.

--Was that Sharon Osbourne officiating the UCR game?

--I hope the NCAA was able to cash in on showing Meg Whitman on the Jumbotron.  Unless I was sleeping, I believe she was the only former student-athlete featured, which made me go "Hmmm".

--In my recollection, I cannot remember a better spurt of basketball than the 29-4 run Stanford started with 14:55 to go in the first half.  Never mind the shooting, which was unbelievable--what about the assists?  There were 10 in six minutes!

--My caption for this one is "Ros, I am SO HAPPY we went through counseling!"

--I watched Skylar Diggins and was envious for a bit.  But then I thought, if she had been here, would we have seen the players we have now perform like they have this year?  The player rotation would, of course, have been significantly different and some of the wonderful successes the individuals have had might not have taken place.  I kind of like what we have!

--OK, on to SacTown.  Hoping to see EVERYONE there in full Cardinal regalia--let's make Arco Arena into Maples North!  Both Jayne and Ros mentioned how great the crowd was in the postgame presser, so we have an obligation to keep up the good work!