I was watching parts of Virginia Commonwealth University’s basketball game against #1-ranked Kansas this afternoon and I swear to God, I don’t get that giddy cheering for my local teams. It’s not so much that I’m rooting for the underdog (which I am) or jumping on the bandwagon (which also may be true)—I hope that VCU wins because their coach, Shaka Smart, is a fellow ’99 Kenyon grad.
I have to admit, it’s a tad disturbing how so many commentators out there have fallen in love with him during the NCAA tournament this year. When they mention names, you never hear about the players. It’s all Shaka Smart. I sometimes wonder if a bunch of them secretly want to bear his children, but that’s beside the point.
When the game was over, someone was interviewing Shaka and a couple players on the floor and mentioned how a lot of people doubted that VCU could make it to the Final Four. Shaka’s response: “Well, they don’t really matter.” He went on to talk about his team, but that one sentence slapped a whole bunch of college basketball fans in the face with a big Eff You! (Incidentally, that sentence made me feel even more giddy.)
So while I’d never heard of Virginia Commonwealth University before this year’s NCAA tournament (I’m sure I’m not the only one), I’m still all pumped up and ready to root for their team and their coach. Go Shaka! Go VCU!
