I was
born only nine days after Arkansas won the 1994 men’s basketball National
Championship. My fate was sealed: I was an Arkansas Razorbacks fan.
Since then, I
have been put through a roller coaster of emotions, ranging from extreme
euphoria to agonizing disappointment.
---
Rashad
Madden drives into the lane with 15 seconds left, stops and kicks it out to
Alandise Harris, who missed the front end of a one-and-one just three days
earlier that would have sealed an upset over No. 10 Florida, at the top of the
key.
Harris
goes through the middle of the lane with his left hand and switches to his
right hand while going up toward the basket, as Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein
slides in front of him.
Both
players fall. So does the shot. The referee blows his whistle: and-one. After a
timeout, Harris knocks down the free throw and Arkansas leads by three; 9.5
seconds remaining. Fans go crazy.
---
My
parents have been taking me to games since I was in diapers. When Arkansas
plays football games in Fayetteville, I simply don’t miss them. No matter what.
The 1999
Tennessee game is my earliest memory of a game I was actually at. I was only
five years old, but seeing the fans storm the field and tear down the goal
posts is an image I’ll never forget.
I’ll
always remember watching Mitch Mustain complete the pass to Ben Cleveland for
the game-winning two-point conversion in double overtime against Alabama in
2006.
Memories
of Matt Jones and Cedric Cobbs, Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, Ryan Mallett
and Joe Adams, Tyler Wilson and Cobi Hamilton remain fresh.
Adams’ amazing
punt return, the Miracle on Markham I, the Miracle on Markham II, the seven
overtime games against Ole Miss and Kentucky and the triple overtime upset over
No. 1 LSU are all part of Razorback legend.
---
Kentucky
inbounds the ball to Andrew Harrison. Harrison drives down the court and hands
the ball off to James Young. Arkansas double-teams Young, leaving Harrison
open.
Young
sees him open, passes to him and Harrison hits the game-tying three-pointer in
the corner in front of his team’s bench. Tie game, 1.2 seconds left. The crowd
quiets down.
Arkansas’
desperation pass down the court is knocked away as the buzzer sounds. Overtime
for the second-consecutive game at Bud Walton Arena.
---
Of
course, I’ve also seen plenty of heartbreak.
The thought
of Mallett’s interception in the end zone to give Ohio State the victory in the
Sugar Bowl still makes me sad.
Louisiana-Monroe’s
Kolton Browning running free at War Memorial Stadium still gives me nightmares.
And who
could forget Reggie Fish’s muffed punt in the 2006 Southeastern Conference
Championship Game?
The countless
leads the Razorbacks have blown have made me pessimistic about even the most
seemingly insurmountable leads.
---
Madden
has the ball in his hands again, this time with 38 seconds left in overtime and
Arkansas up by one. He dribbles up the court, first to the left wing before
coming back to midcourt and passing to Michael Qualls.
Qualls
is immediately fouled with 26.7 seconds remaining. The game will depend on free
throws. Deja vu.
The crowd
anxiously awaits the free throws. Qualls calmly walks to the line. Dribble,
dribble, spin...swish. Dribble, Dribble, spin...swish. Arkansas leads by three.
The fans get out of their seats, sensing the victory, almost tasting it.
---
Bud
Walton Arena was another frequent stop during my childhood.
The only
time I could stay up past my bedtime was when I went to midweek games with my
nana and papa. I used to imitate Johnny George’s growling introduction of:
Noooolan Rrrrrrrrichardsooooon.
Joe
Johnson and Jannero Pargo were my first favorite players. Then came Jonathon
Modica and Eric Ferguson. Then Charles Thomas and Ronnie Brewer, Sonny Weems
and Patrick Beverley, Courtney Fortson and Rotnei Clarke, and Marshawn Powell
and B.J. Young.
I
remember the crowds. Oh, the crowds...20,000-plus fans all Calling the Hogs in
unison. It was beautiful.
It wasn’t
too long ago, it seems, that Arkansas beat No. 4 Oklahoma and No. 7 Texas in
the span of one week.
Just last
year, the Razorbacks gave fans plenty to cheer about, including a double
overtime thriller over Auburn, an upset over No. 2 Florida and exciting wins
against Kentucky and Missouri.
---
Harrison
takes the inbounds pass, drives up the court and again hands it off to Young.
This time, Young pulls up for three at the top of the key. The ball bounces off
the front iron, but Alex Poythress hauls in the rebound for the Wildcats.
Then, as
he’s falling down, he kicks it back out to Young on the wing in front of his
bench. This time, Young doesn’t miss. Tie game; just over 10 seconds remaining.
The crowd can barely handle it.
---
The trips
to Bud Walton and games on TV haven’t come without disappointment, though.
Arkansas’
2007 loss to Georgia haunts me to this day. The Razorbacks were up by six with
under two minutes left, but lost after giving up three-straight threes. The
last one came at the buzzer and was shot 30 feet from the basket.
Two
seasons later, coming off the Oklahoma and Texas upsets, I went to the
Mississippi State game thinking it was finally Arkansas’ time. Surely the
Razorbacks were ready for the national stage once again.
Wrong.
Fourteen points wrong. Blowout wrong.
Arkansas
appeared to be on the verge again, against No. 10 Florida this season. The
Razorbacks almost never trailed, but they missed crucial free throws. Florida
forced overtime by hitting a shot with two seconds left and that was that.
Another loss.
---
Madden
receives the inbounds pass and hurries up the court, crossing the halfcourt
line with seven seconds left in overtime.
He dribbles
to the right wing and pulls up for a three-pointer with a defender in his face.
The ball archs and...clanks off the back of the rim…
---
Sometimes
I wonder why I put myself through it. The Razorbacks are a source of constant
heartbreak. They make me want to throw in my towel and say, “Forget it.”
Arkansas puts
its fans through hell with excruciating losses that seemed like victories
moments before. It never fails.
---
QUALLS!
Out of nowhere, the human highlight reel jumps and snatches the ball out of the
air, before forcefully throwing the ball through the hoop as time expires.
It’s a
final. 87-85, Arkansas wins. Pandemonium.
---
Then this
happens and I remember why I love the Razorbacks. They may make you want to
jump off a cliff, but it’s all worth it when they win.
That’s what
loyalty is all about. Stick with your team, even through the pain of constant
disappointment.
---
Oh, Lord
it’s hard to be humble,
When you’re
an Arkansas Razorback fan!
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