He probably deserves 50 threads...
I don't believe I ever met fatty, though in some foggy portion of my memory, I seem to recall seeing him a time or two (no doubt pacing the concourse). The stories in the other thread of the bad days of wooly/asbury "basketball" were like looking in a mirror. I remember the days of picking one's seat without incident, of heckling the officials, of trading ridiculous Wildcat trivia nuggets with Chingon or some other poor, lost soul who found him/herself adrift in the notion of K-State basketball.
(God, it was beautiful in its own way.)
I would describe that period of KSU hoops in much the same way I would the 1980s in Cats football: shame-enducing. At least for any rational sort. But of course sports aren't rational. We all came to be fans of the same thing in our own distinct ways, but I can still safely say that the level of play, spirit, and K-State-O-ness of everything during those dark years was something that was difficult to be proud of for even the best of fans.
I believe fatty transcended that. He was a passionate, spirited fan, no matter the kind of team he was supporting, and for that, more than anything else, I respected him tremendously. He nurtured pride in K-State. He defended the beauty of our school and our team, and he had an unbelievable talent for disarming people when he did so. He is someone we should all try to emulate. He epitomized the good fan.
When I think of my own relationship with my alma mater, I know full well how difficult a thing it is to quantify. But this idea of accepting the bad with the good is a big part of it. It's easy to root for the Yankees, or KU, or whoever wins 95 percent of the time. It's not easy being K-State. Fatty made it look easy. More importantly, he made it
feel easy.
I thank fatty for never apologizing for being a K-State fan. For never losing that optimistic viewpoint. For bravely being himself in a place (the Internet) that uses anonymity to cut people down.
KatKid, please let me know if you need anything.
-Dave
