Fans glued to television during Jayhawks game

By Leita Walker     Apr 6, 2003

Their party was small and maybe on the quiet side, but the six women watching the Jayhawks at Pioneer Ridge Retirement Community had their beads and knew their basketball.

Dwyane Wade, said Eva Haskin, pointing a finger at the television: “He’s the big gun that we’ve got to defend.”

Sarah Whitelock nodded as she nervously twisted extra strands of royal blue Mardi Gras beads around her hands.

“That’s the way to do it,” she yelled. “Start out with a three. Come on kids.”

Across the city, hundreds of others were thinking the same thing as they watched the Jayhawks defeat Marquette 94-61, enabling them to fight Monday for the national championship. And the cheers came from all corners of the city, as local fans watched the Final Four game everywhere from retirement centers to bars and gas stations to living rooms.

At 3 p.m. Tiana Kell had been standing outside It’s Brothers for 20 minutes.

“The atmosphere,” the Kansas University freshman said, explaining why anyone would arrive two hours early just to get a seat. “It’s more fun when you have everyone here.”

And apparently many agreed. Abe and Jake’s Landing and the Granada packed fans in to watch the game on big screens and other bars had lines leading out their doors long before tipoff.

But they were far from the only choice for game-watchers.

About 30 people gathered at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post to watch the game on a big-screen TV bought last year with money raised by selling tacos and car washes.

They show up for every game, wearing the same clothes and sitting in the same seats. And they always eat hamburgers, because they’re lucky, too.

“It gets crazy,” said Linda Urishi. “You’d think we were all drunk, but we’re really not. We’re just too tense, none of us can sit down.”

Often the crowd is mostly women, said post leader Ila Russell.

“The closer they get to winning things, the men start showing up,” she said. “Maybe they don’t like to hear us scream.”

Others watched the game from the comfort of their own couches.

“I’m thrilled,” said Prairie Village resident Judy Rule from her home at half time. “The boys have just done an awesome job.”

Also at a watch party was Overland Park resident Sheldon Lisondra, whose friend Brad Loudon is in Iraq and was pictured in Saturday’s Journal-World holding a KU Flag in front of a Saddam Hussein portrait.

Loudon’s picture was up all over the house, Lisondra said during a phone call, as party-goers screamed in the background.

“He’d be in heaven,” he said. “We’re gonna do it for Brad.”

And back in Lawrence, a fan who couldn’t get time off for the game was doing his best by listening to the radio.

“All of my buddies are at home … having fun,” said Ajay Kumar, at work until 2:30 a.m. at a local convenience store.

Meanwhile, he was staying busy as game-watchers stopped by to pick up last-minute snacks and drinks.

“Somebody has to work,” he said.

But he had his fingers crossed that the Jayhawks would win — and not just because he’s a Jeff Graves fan.

His friends will be at work Monday.

But “I’ll be watching the game,” he said with a smile.

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