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Count me among those that are the most surprised at how good our beloved Jayhawks have been so far this year. As it seems to go all too often, I was keyed up and ready for the basketball season to kick off by the second or third game of football season, for obvious reasons. But trepidation was prevalent since we really couldn't know what to expect after losing so much from last year's squad. Considering where we stand today, and realizing that with a couple fewer TO's by TT vs. Duke and that if the team wasn't so flat against Davidson they could actually be coasting with only one loss right now is fairly amazing. I know I couldn't have predicted this strong start, but I'm not really surprised. I think it just proves once again how great a coach we have sitting on our sidelines.

That being said, I'd like to make a couple of pleas to the best fans on the planet:

1) Please please please, cease and desist with the "WOOO!" I read the LTE a week or two ago but was busy and didn't pay it much mind. But then that beautiful, haunting, mostly monotone chant started up after our dismantling of Baylor, and I realized what the LTE writer was referring to. I'm proud of and absolutely love our 'Rock Chalk' chant. It's not obnoxious and it's utterly unique. Best of all, you know when you hear it we've just chalked up another W. It's like a signal of relief, we can breathe a little easier, we've lived to fight another day.
Unfortunately, the 'WOO' kind of takes away from the haunting effect of the chant and sounds more like a couple busloads of junior high girls soccer teams acting up in the upper decks of Royals Stadium on a sponsor day. After the first 'WOO' of the first chorus Monday night, the second 'WOO' seemed to garner a number of 'BOO's: to all those that "Boo'd", thank you very, very much.
Please Boo the Woo. The chant is perfect without it, disappointingly silly with it.

2) Let's not chant "Overrated!" when taking down a higher ranked foe. I'll never forget good Ol' Roy excoriating fans for doing such, correctly pointing out that such an immature chant does only two things: it takes away from the accomplishment of our squad in besting an opponent regarded better by the pollsters, and it's a poor reflection on what is usually the greatest fan base in the country. We should want that opponent to be thought of as #3, the win is that much more gratifying and impressive that way. And Kansas' fans are generally regarded as some of the most knowledgeable and respectful basketball fans in the country. Chanting 'overrated' is bush league and more befitting a program like Texas Tech or Colorado than one with a Kansas pedigree. We're better than that.

Go 'Hawks!

Beware of The PHOG! by jaywalker

Just found out that Brandon Bourbon, a 4 star running back out of Missouri, backed out of his commitment to Stanford and committed to Kansas today. He's 6'2" 220 and had offers from Missouri, Notre Dame, Illinois, and Vanderbilt as well.

Nice catch, Coach!

First of all: a shout out to ESPN360. Since I'm been far away from Larry air, the ability to catch all the games had been impossible. Not no more!

So, how do the 'Hawks look so far? Who's wowing, who's struggling, why?

I've been impressed by a number of things, but at the top of the list has to be the physical condition of the entire team. The boys are bulky and cut! Anyone remember what we looked like standing next to MSU last year? I wonder if that was a prime incentive to hit the weight room. The twins, Cole, and Tyshawn are noticeably more thick and muscular, Sherron looks like he's in his best shape ever, and X......? He has to be the most impressively built freshman I've ever seen. If he came from the Dominican Republic everyone would be suspicious that he was actually 25, for cryin' out loud.

Number two on my list goes right back to the X-Man: Kid can ball. And he might be the purest shooter KU's had since......who? Ron Kellogg, maybe? With Memphis the only solid opponent thus far it's too soon to tell, but I'm gonna go out on a limb and predict X is going to end up being the best freshman since Danny. He's strong, fast, athletic and when coupled with Cole I think they'll prove to be the toughest match-up tandem in the country.

Number three: the Twins have markedly improved. I was never one of the people down on them last year, freshmen will be freshmen and I thought they and Taylor played phenomenally for the minutes that were thrust upon them. But the bro's hit the weights and worked on their games, no question. They've honed new moves to create space for shots and are attacking with more aggression and power to the rim. That equals a ridiculously strong front-court for the 'Hawks this year.

Number four: the role players look like they'll be impact players as well. Elijah, Robinson, Teahan, and Reed all wield a myriad of intangibles when they hit the floor and will be vital to the success of the season. They all have hiccups to cure: Elijah needs to learn to control the throttle, Robinson needs to control the foul rate, and Teahan will be out-matched against quicker guards. Reed hasn't been shooting that well so far but he's a gym rat, he'll bounce. But each one of these players can get to double figures scoring and all are strong rebounders regardless of size (Robinson's a beast on the glass! That'll be invaluable in Big 12 play if he starts hitting his throws).

Negatives thus far? We've gotten pretty sloppy on occasion, need to clean it up, that was a problem last year, too. Could be a reflection on the opponents to date, playing down, easing up, ......but that won't matter to Coach.

Taylor's slow start. I believe he'll be fine, but he seems like a player better suited to a style of play more akin to Mizzou's chaos-theory rather than a half-court player. I think he'll shine from time to time, particularly when we play an up-tempo team or style of game.

Mid-range shooting. This could purely be my issue, this aspect of the game always concerns me as it seems to fade a little each year. Players tend to park behind the 3-line and forget how to dribble drive for a solid bank shot when the D gets tighter. This could also be a reflection of the opponents and hasn't been neccesary yet. We'll see. And it hasn't been all bad. The twins are solid 12 and in, Collins is usually money, and X can shoot anywhere.

Nitpick: with the added bulk I'm a little concerned about a drop in speed/quickness. I haven't seen evidence of this, mind you, just a thought.

The way the schedule is shaping out it looks like Tennessee will be our toughest non-con foe and might be the quickest, most athletic team we face all year. That's the game I'm really looking forward to for a solid guage of this team's abilities: on the road, incredibly hostile environment, prime time game vs. a Great 8 caliber team; that's a steak and scotch kinda game! The best part of all this? Watching the team improve as the season goes along. The mark of a great coach is how much better his team is at the end of the season compared to the beginning of the season. Coach Self, just like Roy, almost always accomplishes this feat. And for me, it's fun to watch the progression.

Go 'Hawks!

Color me refreshed.

It's no secret that our nation's fascination and idolization of Barack Obama is off the charts. I haven't been around that long to be an authority, but I've never seen nor heard nor read of anyone - let alone an elected official - who's skyrocketed to such lofty heights of popularity. Even JFK wasn't so wildly beloved. Camelot wasn't Camelot until his assassination, and that wasn't even firmly established until his brother met a similar fate.

I have no idea if all of this is a good or a bad thing. I'm torn on the impact such adoration might affect. After W., perhaps this kind of faith, hope, and trust in our President is just what the doctor ordered. Maybe it's all an elixir that will continue to instill confidence and resurrect the pride the majority of us held in being American not so long ago. Lord knows we need an injection of spirit, comaradery, and community to help us through the troubling times we find ourselves in. We need fresh ideas and invigorating leadership, and that could be what continues to fuel this wild devotion.

Then again, perhaps it's little more than blind idol worship that will inevitably fade over time. I've always found it fascinating with past Presidents that while they were esteemed walking in the door one was hard-pressed to find people willing to admit they'd voted for them a year or two down the line.
And maybe the mania and idolatry will only serve to blind the populace from the hazardous waters this administration is negotiating, realizing those are rocks at the bottom of that beautiful waterfall when it's too late to turn the boat back. I'm not saying the moves being made are wrong, but they're certainly unproven and subject to thoughtful suspection.

All that being said, whatever the cause of and potential outcome from this Obama-mania might be, at least it's providing some much appreciated levity. And at least someone's making money these days. The "Obama Souvenir" industry is a force of nature. From the moment those last votes were counted, everything-Obama has been hawked with the fury of the Sham-Wow guy on cocaine. I haven't seen it, but I imagine you can get a kitchen sink with the Presidential seal and that charming picture of Obama with his girls smack dab around the drain.

What have I seen thus far? T-shirts, key chains, lava lamps, posters, 6' cardboard cutouts, pendants, stationary, coins, etched plaques, figurines, bobbleheads, busts, mugs, glasses, basketballs, jackets, pens, bumper stickers, skateboards, kites, and....wait for it......condoms! Yes, condoms. And I'm sure this comprises less than half the list of memorabilia available to those sick of collecting Elvis gear.

But the "pie'ce de re'sistance" was unveiled to me last night at about 2 a.m.

I was up late balancing the books and trying to figure what new business I could generate in order to keep all my men on the payroll. I've been able to ride the storm admirably thus far, if I do say so myself. We've diversified, expanded territory, and forged new ones. I've reduced my own salary to just above nothing and removed myself from our health insurance rolls just to keep my guys employed. But the ball keeps rolling downhill.

So in the wee hours I was nursing a scotch on the rocks in an effort to minimize the weight of the stress coursing through my entire body. I could feel my knitted eyebrows attempting to meet in the middle and my poor dog could sense it was not a good time to be lying in my path as I paced the den. I'd been at it for hours so I opted to turn on the tube to see how badly my Royals had been spanked. I know, I know; insult to injury and all that but I needed to direct my frustration elsewhere.

I punched in the numbers on the remote and in that split second before the channel changed I saw something that caught my eye. I thought, "Was that....? Could it really be......? Did I see....?", as I quickly pressed the recall button.
It was. For the love of Oprah, there was an ad for a "Chia Obama"!!! As the voice-over announcer detailed the fine craftsmanship of the product and explained how "you can commemorate the historic election" I stared in disbelief with jaws agape. And then I chuckled. Then I laughed. Soon I was laughing so hard I had to put my scotch down. Maybe it wasn't that funny. Maybe the hilarity was more about the combination of punchiness and stress. But I gotta tell ya, watching the time lapse effect of that Obama head grow little green hair was too much for me to take.

I've thought all this Obama-mania was over the top, that the theory of over-kill had been lost on those looking to put him out in front of the public in each and every way possible. But for once, just for that one moment, I couldn't have been more thankful. I needed a laugh so badly. It was just what the doctor ordered.