Roy Williams was clearly touched by the warm greeting he received the other night when he strode down the north steps of the Parrott Center on the way to his media session inside.
Williams patted the head of a young boy and accepted a rose from a small girl. He seemed to swallow hard, his tear glands tweaked.
Outside the Center, perhaps 100 people had gathered to make certain Williams knew how they felt about him. Some held signs urging him to turn North Carolina down and remain at Kansas. Others hollered greetings.
I didn’t hear any chants of “Don’t Go, Roy” but that’s probably only because nobody started one. Those are, of course, the three words Kansas University basketball fans are saying, if only in their minds.
Will he go or will he stay? Only he knows for sure, and he isn’t saying. Yet.
If you’re a Kansas basketball fan and you want Williams to finish his coaching career on Mount Oread, here’s some advice: Let Williams know about it.
Those 100 or so fans made an impact the other night, no doubt about it, but when you get down to it that was really a minuscule percentage of people who could have been there.
Heck, I’ll bet there were more media on hand than fans. Believe me, it was a media cattle call.
Sure, school wasn’t in session and students are the biggest boosters of all, but it wasn’t like the media session was hastily called. KU officials revealed in the early afternoon that Williams would be available to talk to print and electronic media at 7 p.m. Five hours advance notice is a lot of time.
Surely word of that news conference spread like wildfire. It had to. I know the phone was ringing off the hook in the Journal-World sports department after the Associated Press and others announced Williams would succeed the retiring Bill Guthridge.
Williams denied the report in early afternoon by issuing a statement through the KU sports information office. Then he agreed to that evening media session, most likely because his office had been swamped with calls from the media. Williams had ducked all media attempts to reach him the night before when the story broke about Guthridge’s retirement.
In today’s age of instant media access through radio, television and particularly web sites, if you don’t know what’s going on you just don’t care. People around here care about Roy Williams. I know it. You know it. Throughout the nation, Williams personifies Kansas.
And yet only about 100 or so showed up on the Parrott Center steps as positive reinforcers.
What I’m saying is if you want Roy Williams to stay at Kansas, it’s not too late to let him know. Yes, he is vacationing on a South Carolina beach, but the Kansas University basketball office will be open on Monday morning.
Unfortunately, it’s probably too late to mail a card or a letter. No mail is picked up on Sunday, meaning anything you send today wouldn’t reach the Williams’ office until Tuesday, and Tuesday is a holiday with no mail delivery.
So if you mailed something today, most likely it wouldn’t arrive until Wednesday and, frankly, that will probably be too late.
You can always e-mail Williams. His address is royaw@ukans.edu. Fill his e-mail to the brim. Make it overflow. How could that not impress him?
To me, though, cards and letters would have more of an impact. But how can you get them to Williams in time?
Drive over to Allen Fieldhouse today or Monday. If it’s today, tape the cards or letters to the doors. Allen Fieldhouse has lots of doors. Wouldn’t that be a sight? Employees arriving for work and finding cards and letters everywhere.
On Monday, you can deliver them in person. When Williams checks in with his office, he’ll hear all about the onslaught of cards, letters and e-mail.
Obviously, there’s no guarantee the avalanche would influence Williams’ decision. Still, as emotional a man as Williams is, the outpouring could very well turn the tide, and at least you’ll know you gave it your best shot.
