Only a few more days left of school forever. That's pretty remarkable to think about as the semester winds down and I get ready to venture into the wonderful place called the "real world."
Before I go, I need to thank certain people that made watching athletic games so much fun while I have been here at Buffalo.
First, I give thanks to football head coach Turner Gill, who has resurrected a team from the grave. Before Gill, the team couldn't win more than two games a year. Now they tied for first place in the Mid-American Conference East division in just his second season with the Bulls. Gill provides hope for the future to possibly not winning just one, but many MAC titles.
During my freshman year, nobody on campus wanted to attend a game. When I mentioned football, all you could think about was a losing team. That's not the case anymore. The fan base has totally changed compared to that time.
If I ever talked about Buffalo football with friends from home, they just laughed in my face. Now, it feels good to talk about a winning team on the verge of further success during the years to come. This team is moving in the right direction and I thank Turner Gill for that.
Next, I want to thank another Turner. Turner Battle was the leader of the 2004-05 basketball team that was only 0.8 seconds away from reaching the NCAA Tournament. That season was the most exciting one in all my four years here.
Not only did that team win a lot of games, but also the crowds were intense for every single home contest. Alumni Arena was a true home-court advantage for the team and that's what I always imagined a college basketball game was going to be.
Since that year, going to a basketball game has not been the same. Sure, it helps to watch a winning team, but fans should still come out to support their team. If you ask any athlete how much fun they have performing in front of their home fans, I bet many would say that they love it. The men's basketball team did not get the same loyalty from people from that historic 2004-05 season.
When was the last time everyone in the arena was doing the wave at a basketball game? That's right, my freshman year - three years ago, when Battle wore a jersey on the court and not a suit on the sidelines. Thanks for the memories, Turner.
Another person I want to thank is men's soccer coach John Astudillo, who may have been my favorite person to interview after a game.
Astudillo was always available to talk over the phone after a road match and even on the weekends at home. He was very sincere and friendly and provided me with great answers to all my questions. Side note to John: sorry about that one time I called your sister's house on a Sunday afternoon.
My favorite part about interviewing coach Astudillo was the end of it; whenever he said "cheers" to me, it brightened up my day. I felt happy when I hung up the phone or walked out the door.
The fourth person I want to thank is Warde Manuel, who is all about winning championships. He is the perfect athletic director for this school to help us turn the corner and win MAC titles in all sports.
Next, I want to give thanks to the Buffalo baseball and softball teams. For the first time in four years, I attended games for both teams and was surprised. I actually enjoyed myself and the teams played really well.
I can see the improvement that coaches Marie Curran and Ron Torgalski are making for both squads. Both teams look like they are heading in the right direction to win championships in the near future.
I am disappointed in myself that it took me until my senior year to catch a game. So for all of you that haven't seen any of these teams play yet, I recommend that you try to watch a game at some point.
Finally, I want to thank everyone that works in the athletic communication office. Everybody has been really supportive in helping me set up interviews with coaches and players.
Whenever I went to a home match, the staff was courteous and made the atmosphere enjoyable to watch the game.
Again, I want to thank all the coaches and players for some great memories of Buffalo athletics. I give thanks to the readers that took time to not only read this column, but all my other columns as well.
Now it's time to step out into my next adventure in life. Goodbye Buffalo.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
