Thursday, April 3, 2008
For those of you who graced Hoglund Ballpark Wednesday night, you were among a legend in his own time. A fan legend that is seemingly a giant of a man and is visible in nearly every athletic venue, Richard Cole does it all.
The 1982 University of Kansas graduate in Biochemistry has an immaculate record and is possibly a Jayhawk fan record holder. For fans that have done a football game and Late Night in the same day, you are only scratching the surface.
“I was at a tennis match, baseball game and softball game this week in one day,” Cole said. “Besides basketball, a bunch of sports need some love. So, I try to give a lot of them some love.”
The Barry Bonds of Kansas sports fanatics, Cole remembers his first experience vividly.
“1980 number one ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys rolled into town. It was Easter Sunday and I decided to see what all the excitement was about,” Cole said. “Those people made me very angry.”
Anger him they did and Cole has been a phenom heckler ever since. He remembers one of his better heckles, citing one of his top 5 Kansas baseball players of all time as 2006 graduate Matt Baty.
“I had a special song all worked up that I would sing when he was trying to steal a base.” Cole said. “‘Every time they were sure they had you caught, you were quicker than they thought and you would turn your back and walk.’ But he stopped getting on base after that.”
For those of you fellow University Daily Kansan die-hard readers that don’t always like to believe baseball writers Shawn Shroyer and myself, take the advice from a seasoned veteran about this years team.
“They have got the pitching and the hitting they need, they just have not got the pitching going.” Cole said. “Wally Marciel was a freshman all American last year and he struggled at the beginning of that season too. He is still very good. Once some of the pitchers come around, they will be very good.”
Before Cole became the super fan he is today, he started out as an average Kansas student trying to get down close for basketball games. It was the first baseball game he attended in which he decided the other sports need respect too and as they say, “the rest is history.”
Cole has a reason he believes that people don’t attend smaller revenue sports and he does it through an analogy.
“I call it my K-State basketball theory,” Cole said. “You play basketball for K-State, nobody goes to see you play, nobody likes you, you’re a loser and you signed your name on the wrong dotted line.”
Cole’s disregard remains only towards the other state school to the west however. Cole has a formula and personal belief about his fellow Jayhawkers.
“They are going to one of the leading academic institutions in the country and they’re admitted here. They are pretty smart.” Cole said. “And oh they can play and they got a scholarship offer? They must be real good.”
Good they are and more of the general public needs to follow these words of wisdom from one of the greatest fans. Cole gives everything he can to Kansas athletics and the dividends come in the form of entertainment. Jayhawk fans who are looking to do a little more for their school or alma mater after the Final Four is over, look no further than Cole.
As far as inspirational quotes go, maybe one of Cole’s legendary heckle will give you the rhyme and reason to attend events.
. “Burnt orange is ugly. The best thing to ever come out of Texas is interstate highway 35,” Cole said.
Indeed, it takes a little more to be a champion and it takes a little more than that to become a legend. Future Jayhawks now have the recipe for success and the ingredients contain those in which Richard Cole possesses. Greatness.
—Edited by Sasha Roe
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