Fandemonium sweeps the land of the Zags
It's not likely a couple of decades worth of readers would ever confuse me with a sports writer or sports expert or pundit. Watching Triple Crown horse races every year or enthusiastically cheering on Ironman competitors at the finish line does not a sports expert make.
But this month we've watched a really exceptional NCAA March Madness tournament, not just for the incredible success of Gonzaga but most of the games have been nail biters right down to the final buzzer.
Gonzaga making the Final Four has brought together the extended communities of the Inland Northwest. Long time fans tend to wrinkle their noses at the bandwagoners but
I'm thinking that Coach Mark Few and the players are thrilled with the swelling of support regardless. From a fan perspective it's a treat to cheer for a team of good guys. Not just good athletes but good guys.
I took an informal poll of my Facebook village inquiring who among them would be attending the games in Phoenix. Julie Billetz and her husband, John, winter in Arizona so travel will be a breeze but Julie said attending a Final Four game has long been on her “bucket list.” When Gonzaga won its way in she decided this was the year to check that off the list.
Chuck Lempesis, a Gonzaga Class of '79 alum, is either psychic or a cock-eyed optimist. He purchased tickets to the Final Four AND the Championship game four months ago. He and his bride, Cyndie, are double dating to the games with Cyndie's parents, Hill and Maxine Pfundheller.
Britt Towery is in Phoenix for spring break but doesn't have tickets to see her alma mater play on Saturday. Next best thing — attending the open practice on Friday.
Gina Mote is heading to Phoenix ticketless but intends to find the pre-game gathering of Gonzaga fans for communal celebrating.
Former Post Falls City Councilor, now a retired snow bird, Skip Hissong will be in the arena with his wife, Jody.
Jimmy McAndrew will be in the stadium with bells on come Saturday, along with 74,999 fellow fans, vowing to out cheer them all.
Peter Green started as a Gonzaga student in 1993, the first year the Zags made the NCAA tournament. He watched them play in Salt Lake City that year. The team made it to its first Elite Eight in his graduation year. Like most of us, he'll be glued to the game on television here in Idaho.
The best story has to be that of Coeur d'Alene's Jerry Johnstun. He's followed the Zags since John Stockton was playing in the early 1980s and was hooked for good when they made their first Elite Eight in 1999. Amazingly he's never seen the team play in person. He'll finally have that chance on Saturday when he's in the stands for the Final Four!
Early last year Jerry entered his name in the NCAA lottery system for four tickets to the Final Four and Championship games and was selected. So as fate would have it Gonzaga goes on to the Final Four and there he'll be, seeing his team live for the very first time. His brother, Joel, is joining him in the adventure and his wife, Nancy, is going along for the ride and the Arizona sunshine. Jerry and Joel's sister, Joyce Bowlby, lives in Sun City so she's happy to host a little family reunion.
On Saturday we'll all be Gonzaga Bulldog fans for sure!
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Over the weekend a big hullabaloo started on social media regarding a United gate agent refusing to seat two young women because they were wearing leggings. The uproar and indignation that followed in the mainstream media as well as on Twitter and Facebook created a public relations nightmare for the airline.
But in reading the entire account what was overlooked initially by those up in arms was that the two were traveling as pass riders, or as non-rev, space available passengers.
One of the perks of being an airline employee or an immediate family member of an airline employee is the ability to fly free. Yes, free. As in it doesn't cost you a thing to board a plane to wherever your heart desires, as long as there's a seat available after all ticketed passengers have been accommodated.
One of our daughters has worked as a flight attendant since 2000. She doesn't work for United but we've used reciprocal travel benefits on that carrier, too.
What we've known since 2000 is that in exchange for the perk of flying free there are certain expectations for conduct and dress. While the dress code for non-revs has relaxed a bit, we make sure that we're not wearing jeans, T-shirts, flip flops etc. We don't wear sweat pants or pajama pants. More often than not, the space available just might be in the first class cabin and we make sure that we're attired appropriately in case we're lucky enough to be seated there.
In nearly 17 years we've traveled all over the country, including Hawaii and enjoyed a trip across the pond to London. In exchange all we had to do was follow a dress code. Sounds reasonable to me.
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Things to Do: Opening night on Friday for Lake City Playhouse production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Runs through April 8.
The eighth annual Coeur d'Alene Blues Festival, Fri, Sat., Sunday at The Coeur d'Alene Resort. Info: cdaresort.com.
Wednesday, April 5, Ray of Hope Luncheon to benefit CASA. Info: northidahocasa.com.
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Happy birthday today to Bob Koep, Mary Hawkins and Bo Gerzina.
Tomorrow Sue Sausser, Gloria Weidner, Tabetha Brisbin, Linda Schmidt, Bren Grace and Kathleen Perez put on their party hats.
On Friday Priscilla Baker, Cathy Shortridge, Rick Vernon, Annika Baltzell, Chris Jones, Joey Nowoj, Patrick Reagan, Shirley Christie, Crystal LaFountain, David Holloway and Chris Clayton will have their cake and eat it, too.
Taking another trip around the sun on April Fools' Day are Ed Frazey, Keri Schwenke, Martha Goose, Kim Haddock, Candi Applegate, Chris Thompson and Payton Peugh.
On Sunday Jonathan Owens, Judi Jackson, Dallan Pope, Taylor Huber, Kathy Willy, Beth Barclay, Nell Gordon and Lee Periman are blowing out the birthday candles.
Liz Montgomery, Doreen Porter, Cameron Dominquez and Cindy Jordan celebrate on Monday.
Kathryn Eachon turns 89 on April 4, sharing the date with Marshall Meeks, Nancy Gurno, Keith Hanlon, Duffy Taylor, Ann Fox, Nicholas Kane, Pappy Butler and Toni Hackwith.
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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.