Might as well get right to it, before my cereal gets soggy. My name is Chris, and I have two children. Why is it worth mentioning that I have two kids? Because [B]I’m scared to death they are going to grow up not cheering for Kentucky[/B]. I thought I was the only one who worried about this, but Mack Perkins is also concerned (about his kid, not mine), and I’ve seen a couple folks on Twitter who feel the same way (about their kids, not mine or Mack’s).
I have an almost 5-year-old girl, and a 17-month-old boy, and I spend a good portion of my free time wondering where they are going to live if they turn out to be Duke fans. With their grandparents? Maybe the maternal side. My dad could give a damn how cute they are, no snot-nosed Duke fans are living under his roof. We have a playhouse in our yard; the kids could stay there, I suppose.
The question I have is this: At what age do kids become UK fans? I know there are the little toddler cheerleader outfits, and the baby UK squeaky shoes, and all the things us parents can make them wear vicariously, but when does it turn into them wanting to wear the stuff out of love for the team?
Confession: I was nearly 12 years old when I saw what I remember as my first UK game. Which game? The 92′ East Regional final, unfortunately. And in the interest of full disclosure, I was only watching it because I was waiting for it to end so I could watch the movie [I]The Dream Team[/I] after the game (I loved Furst, Lloyd, Boyle and Keaton in that one. Great characters). I was actually pissed when the game went into overtime, because it meant I had to wait that much longer for the movie to start. I can still remember Dad jumping up, slapping his cap against the wall, and cussing when the one guy hit that shot to win it for that other team. Granted, those meager, misguided beginnings of mine have turned into the typical Big Blue obsession, but I was a very late bloomer. And I worry my kids will take after me.
I thought I had it made at one point. A couple years ago, when the girl was only 3, we went to watch [I]The Princess & The Frog[/I]. After the movie, we were in the arcade playing Skee-Ball, and the girl took her ball, banged it against the ground, said “Go Big Blue”, and shot the ball like a free throw into her lane. It was by far my proudest moment as a parent up to that point. But, of course, she hasn’t made a peep about them since, and that was 2 years ago. The boy could care less too, since rooting for UK would cut into his time pooping and coloring the walls (with a crayon, you sicko). Although, to the boy’s credit, he absolutely loves watching [I]The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross[/I], so there may be hope for him somewhere.
So, here’s my question, fellow parents (sorry, young single childless people, this one may not apply to you. Now get back to licking whipped cream off a stranger’s belly): [B]When did your kids start rooting for the Cats?[/B] Let’s hear it in the comments.
[I][B]Follow @chris_minton on Twitter for a little UK talk, and lots of random thoughts and crude words.[/B][/I]
