the big game

Has Jimbo ever mentioned he is a fan of the Kansas Jayhawks?

Oh,yeah. I guess he has.

Well, it seems like the one thing that came screaming out of the headlines this week is that there are a number of Kansas fans who absolutely hate Roy Williams. The truth is that Jimbo is not one of them.

Granted, Roy was on the other side on Saturday night, and therefore, for one night, he became the hated opposition. I was more than happy to see him lose.

But the other side of the coin is that he was our guy for fifteen years, and they were some of the best fifteen years of our basketball lives. And, even though there seems to be a lot of hatred among Kansas fans toward Roy, I kind of think it is like when a lover breaks off a relationship with a guy. The first thing he thinks about is that he will never find another one again who is as good. Or, at least, that is what they tell me. I, of course, would not know that feeling, never having experienced it.

And, I have to admit that, right after Roy left, I might have felt that way for a few days. I felt the same when Larry Brown took off, but I got over it quickly and three years later we were playing in the National Championship game. I think I knew that, deep down inside, because of the tradition we have at Kansas, there would always be some top notch coach who'd say, okay, I'll come over and put some trophies on the shelf. And, we got a very good one.

But, while Roy was here he took us to that improbable 1991 championship game and to the sweet sixteen, the great eight and the final four more than once. They were good times. All good times, though, have to come to an end. One way or another, we all have to hang it up and move on. It's life. One hopes that he'll always hang on to those who are important in his life, but sometimes they say adieu or adios or goodbye, y'all.

No hard feelings, Roy. You're a good man.

Just sorry we had to kick your butt last night so bad. Well, even though I like you, I guess I'm not that sorry.

But, that's the way we do it, here in Jimbo's world.