Wake Forest Athletics News
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Gold Rush: 100% Cotten
June 25, 2002 by Stan Cotten We'll have a little time off before the next edition of Gold Rush. Have a great summer! Being a Fan I'm by no stretch a hockey fan. But I was in attendance for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Detroit Red Wings and Carolina Hurricanes at Raleigh's ESA on June 10. It was the first hockey game I had ever attended or, for that matter, even watched from start to finish. I attended with a friend, not as a member of the media but as a seeker of an experience I had never had. I was not disappointed. We parked with the masses, trekked our way to the arena, waited in line. You know the drill. And it was great. Just to be a fan. Just to have some fun. I left with a greater appreciation for what fans have to go through simply to follow their favorite team. I understand better how fans feel about their teams - what they will endure to get a glimpse, even from a bad seat if they have to. Sometimes I forget, but now I remember. And then I realized that many fans, for various reasons, could not attend that hockey game. The reason may have been financial. It might have been because they had an early morning meeting and couldn't risk a three-overtime game like Game 3, which would have put them back home at 2-3 a.m. Plus, as nice as the ESA is - it's only so big. Whatever. But that fan could listen on radio. And he or she deserves the experience of almost being there, which I'm sure the Carolina Hurricanes radio broadcast team gave them. The whole experience has me looking forward to the fall when Jim Grobe's Deacons take the field. Deacon fans that can't make the games deserve to almost be there if they want to - and that's the job that Ed Bradley, Clent Gentry, Scott Briggaman and I will hope to execute when we swing back into gear later this summer. I promise that we'll work harder to get you to the games even when you can't go. You deserve it. Sorry, David It was sad to see the Wake Forest baseball season end before we all wanted it to. Dealing with such disappointment is part of sports. But I felt especially bad for Wake senior David Bush who passed on pro baseball to give one last season at Wake Forest the good 'ole college try. He passed on the more popular and easier decision to take the money. He opted for a year he could never get back had he signed his name, and, even though Wake fell short of the College World Series, Bush is a winner. He would tell you that. A tip of the cap to you, David. Bielik Shines Nobody had a better season that Deacon women's tennis star Bea Bielek, who proved to be Wake's ace in the hole. Rarely does an athlete get to experience a national championship, but Bielik did it twice this season. First came her Omni Hotels National Indoor title in November. Then last month she added the NCAA Singles title to the list. Both championships led to her being named recently as the ITA National Player of the Year. Women's tennis is slowly getting the recognition it deserves. Thanks, Bea, for helping the cause. Goodbye, Gertie The same day Wake Forest was knocked out of the NCAA baseball Tournament by the Richmond Spiders, the Cottens had to make the tough decision to put down our pet of 15 years. Gertie was not a particularly affectionate creature, but there was no doubt she loved us. She would stand between my girls and who or whatever. Protecting them. She was family, loyal to the end. Losing even a pet makes one appreciate family. Togetherness. That common thread that keeps us together. We have a great thing going at Wake Forest. Thanks for letting me be a part. And, before too long, we'll see you on the radio. |