KU Sports: To Blog or Not To Blog?

That was the question I had to ask myself a couple of years ago when a friend of mine kept telling me that blogs were the future and that I should start my own Jayhawk blog to share my passion of KU basketball with others. Don't get me wrong, I'm a KU football fan too, but honest enough to say that basketball is my first love. Always has been. Growing up, I had the build to play football, so I did, but I went out for the basketball team too in hopes that they would have a need for a 5'11" "big guy" that thought he could shoot the 3. Unfortunately that wasn't the case, but my passion for basketball continued and reached a whole new level as I experienced game after game in Allen Fieldhouse my freshman year: 1990.

Over the last several years, I've been on various Jayhawk boards and written articles for a couple of Jayhawk web sites. Each had their own advantages and disadvantages, so I decided to start my blog, Jaytalkers.com, so I could have a place to share my thoughts and opinions with others. Mind you, I’m not trying to CHANGE anyone’s opinion or force my beliefs on them. I’m just sharing one man’s view of all things Jayhawk.

So while Jaytalkers.com will continue and has some of my historical blogging for those that are interested, I now enter a new venture with The Topeka Capitol Journal and will be blogging for them on KU Sports at least a couple of times a week during the football and basketball seasons.

To give you a little more info on how I view things as a Jayhawk fan:
*I LOVE Jayhawk Basketball. The amount of time and effort I put in watching, reading, writing and talking about the games during the season can only be described as “fanatical”. My wife may choose a different phrase. Thankfully, we just celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary, so I think I’m ok. Hey, look, she knew what she was getting into when she married me (She’s a Jayhawk fan too. We met at KU. But she’s just not a freak about it like I am.)
* My approach as a fan, after years of getting my hopes way up only to have them inevitably crushed, is to take the games one at a time. I know it's cliché, but I'm not going to walk around with my chest pumped out as though we are taking over college football (or basketball for that matter) because I've seen way too many fans from MU and KSU look ridiculous for doing that very thing only to have the bubble explode in their faces for the nation to see. (Note: KSU Nation is ALREADY doing it with the ridiculous over-hyping of Michael Beasley. I’m not saying he won’t be a good, or maybe great, player, but let’s wait to see him actually PLAY A GAME IN COLLEGE before we start comparing him to LeBron James or Kevin Durant.)
*In the end, as much as I want to go "all in" and believe that KU, in football and/or basketball, is a team of destiny, it just hurts too much to set that expectation in my mind/heart only to have it burst. IF KU were to win a national title in either sport, I would celebrate to the point of exhaustion and, most likely, tears. And I’m not joking.
But until then, I don't get too high after wins and I don't get too low after losses. I haven't always been that way. That approach has been molded after years of heartbreak after getting too emotionally invested. It's like putting your heart and soul into the relationship with your first love....and then finding out later she cheated on you. The pain is just too great. So, if I were to label myself as a Jayhawk fan, I would say that I am predominately CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC.

At the end of the day, I bleed Crimson and Blue and always will. I hope that the readers of the Topeka Capitol Journal enjoy reading what I write and I look forward to fine-tuning my own fanaticism with the combined wit and intelligence of the KU fan base.

Keep Rockin’ and Chalkin,

Mic
kumic94@gmail.com