#3 - Last Game at the Kennel
In February of 2004 I was lucky enough to scrape together a ticket to join my parents, my brother Ryan, the Schmitt’s, and the Cooney’s at the last game in The Kennel , formerly known as Martin Center and before that Kennedy Pavillion. I was there when Ronny Turiaf scored the last Gonzaga points in that old crackerbox highschool gymnasium, and I was there when they turned off the lights.
That place was louder than the new modern arena, the temperature was hotter, the fans were a bit more ravenous, the players were a little less talented but wanted to win just as badly, the seats were a little more cramped and little less comfortable, there were no luxery boxes or neon sensory overload, and GU was still the little engine that could.
Things are different in the McCarthey Athletic Center, also referred to as K2 or the MAC. The golden era of GU basketball ended when they shut off the lights in the Kennel. Such big changes often result in sacraficing the little things that make you different, but I guess sometimes it’s necessary to keep things moving forward.
To the final 4 and beyond!