Tweet
"Pop" Schomburg--roommate for several years and best friend for more than that.
-
-
Fitz, Tony, Emma, Fr. Frank....wow, it was my privilege to know them all, and I could wax eloquent (or otherwise tell some pretty tall tales about all of them!) but, let me just add Black Dan to the list. As a wet behind the ear Soph in my first Brajcich class (having survived Billy Loeffler), one of the first things he said was, .... by the end of the week there won't be the half of you in here (and there wasn't), and... if any of you play basketball, you may as well leave now, because (and I'm paraphrasing here) there is no way your gonna be able to do both... I was still having fun with the JV squad (part of the Fitz memories as he was around on his first stint with ABC). I was hiding in plain sight because I believed him.... so I never said anything, nor discussed basketball anywhere near his class. Mid-season we (the JV squad) took a road trip to Missoula. We arrive at the hotel / motel, and who was in the lobby....Black Dan (having traveled with the booster club). He gave me this Black Dan look, and no words were exchanged. I thought I was toast, and dreaded showing up to the following Monday's 8:00 am class. He never said a word one way or the other, and neither did I for the rest of my classes with him...and I had all my accounting classes with him for 3 years... I grew to really admire that man and his ability to reach us, challenge us, and grow us into adults. I would love to have a conversation with him today about that evening in Montana, and his apparent love for GU basketball, and what he really felt behind that Black Dan facade...Comment
-
Before we were fortunate enough to get to watch the Zags on TV every game, I enjoyed listening to Dick Wright call the games on the radio.
Comment
-
A man I had the pleasure of working with Patrick Casey. Pat was the one who predicted the Zags would ascend to the level we are at today nearly 20 years ago and convinced me to invest in following them. Pat was a die hard Zag fan and brought me as his guest to a game or two a year from about 2001 to 2010.One of the greatest stories in basketball history...Gonzaga!Comment
-
I would add Pat Craigen to the list.
You have to love the Gonzaga fan. Not satisfied to be affronted merely by common hosings at the hands of ragtag referees, he plows all avenues of discontent. - John Blanchette
Gonzaga University...Home of the Zags...The Bulldogs. If you pronounce it "Gone Zaw Ga," they'll know you're not from here and they may charge you more for your coffee. - Garrison KeillorComment
-
A great post. I also knew Dick Schomburg (El Voce), first, for many years, as a workmate at the courthouse. He eventually became one of my best friends. He was Zag Nation personified, and as we all know, the Voice of Reason on this board. I was fortunate to attend a number of men's games with him, and the women's season tickets I still hold were chosen because they were next to where he and Section 116 sat. The Zag's trip to the final four is a fitting tribute to El Voce and all those others, now gone, who were always there for the team down through the years.Comment
-
El Voce
The voice of reason in these unreasonable times. I'll never forget him. I went on several road trips with my pal. When sharing a room the very first thing Voice would do after entering the room was to turn the thermostat up as high as it would go. As soon as he left the room I would turn the furnace off and the AC on. It was a constant fight.Comment
-
He may not have been a huge GU Basketball fan but Bing Crosby aka "Uncle Bing" sure deserved to have this happen for Gonzaga. The Crosby Loan program helped me and my fellow students from time to time when we were "short" of cash.
Great thread ....Comment
-
There's no doubt that El Voce will be 'calling' this game over the loud speakers just beyond the pearly gates.
Allow myself to introduce....myself...Comment
-
Don't forget the late great Professor Vern Davidson who was a stalwart at the GU games in the 80-90s. Although I don't think he enjoyed watching basketball as much as watching the players on the court.Comment
-
Reading through this thread, there are some very fine people mentioned throughout. Thanks for the pictures of El Voce Woohoo. It was really nice to see Black Dan Brajcich mentioned above. He was probably the most important lay person from my Gonzaga journey. One other person I would like to mention, who I am sure is sitting there with Fr. Tony, is Fr. Pat Carroll. He was a living saint, who sported a big red beard before Przem, dressed in a flannel shirt and climbing boots. Go Zags. For all of them, for all of us.Comment
-
One thing I think is maybe worth mentioning about the late (and honorable) Judge Sam Cozza. He would request a schedule every season, for the last 5-6 years. He would often engage me in a convo about the zags, and we had some good ones. Very nice and courteous person.
I thought it was interesting that in all those years, he never mentioned that he was a judge. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I know a couple of judge's here in Missouri (one of them was a client), and they were quick to let me know or remind me that they were a court judge. It would sometimes come with a bit of an attitude. Judge Cozza was as genuine and nice as they come, and was 'just another zag'.Allow myself to introduce....myself...Comment
-
Originally posted by RainierZag View Post
I will agree with "Uncle" Bing, Fr. Costello, Fr. Tony, Dwan Hurt and thousands more ....gobroncsgozags: "Have a great day in the podunk, crap hole known as Roslyn."Comment
-
As I was shooting hoops on Monday afternoon before reading this thread, having taken the day off to recuperate from my San Jose adventure, I thought of Fitz and wondered if he was smiling up in the heavens. I never met El Voce, but from reading his posts and all that others have posted about him, I know he was an awesome man and is definitely grinning from ear to ear now. I heard from a very reliable source that Dan Bracjich loved Gonzaga basketball, he to is enjoying this moment. Frs. Pat Carroll and Art Dussault are also having a dandy time. As is my first advisor, Fr. Frank Costello.
For me personally, I know that one of best friends and fellow Club member, Eric Leonard, is looking down from above and whooping it up for what in our day was an impossible dream. The Club will be thinking about you this weekend Eric, wishing you were here to lead the charge and enjoy it with us together.Comment
-
Thanks for the mention of "Black Dan". I have so many stories to tell about his mentorship and teaching, they still burn brightly after 40+ years.Originally posted by Club Prez View Post
When I've been asked, "what was Gonzaga like?" by those unfamiliar with the school, mostly went to a mega-state school, Dr. Brajcich figures prominently in my recollections, as does Dr. Graue and Fr. Gerry Kohls. Nowadays, it's unheard of to have the same professor for over 30 semester hours. As a sophomore, I feared him. As a junior, I warmed up to him. As a senior (and beyond), I loved the man. It was through his style of teaching that I passed the CPA fifteen years after graduating from GU (I did not return to the accounting field for nearly 15 years after graduation) : all of his tests were essay, and I'm convinced that my performance on the essay questions got me over the top.
After a couple of my stories, the usual response I get is, "damn, my college experience was nothing like that."Comment
Comment