Bowling Green State University Athletics
This photo is one of several great shots that can be found by clicking the link near the bottom of this story
Anderson Arena Memories - Volume 2
May 19, 2010 | General, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Volleyball
Also titled, "Andersyn Arena memories"
Throughout the 2010-11 season, the BGSU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will be celebrating the storied history of Anderson Arena, as we are 'Closing the Doors of the House That Roars' and preparing for the opening of the Stroh Center in the fall of 2011.
To submit a vote for the All-Anderson Team, to share your favorite memory of Anderson Arena or to keep up with the progress of the Stroh Center construction, Click Here. We will be sharing some of your fondest memories of Anderson Arena here at BGSUFalcons.com in the coming weeks and months.
Grant Cummings, the founder of the website Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.com, is a typical Falcon fan in that he has spent countless hours in and around Anderson Arena. Everyone has his or her own perspective on the arena, and Grant's story is a great one. He shared his story on his own website a while back, and was kind enough to allow us to reprint it here at BGSUFalcons.com ...
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What's in a name?
A lot of people don't know why my daughter, Andersyn, is named what she is. There's a long story behind it; or more like a hundred little stories. Here is an attempt to explain it a little...
I think my earliest memory of Anderson Arena was when I was 8 years old; 32+ years ago. I went to games with my mom and dad. Mike Miday, Emzur Shurelds, John Flowers, Dick Miller, I was hooked!!
All through grade school, middle school and high school, I went to BG basketball games. Men's and some women's games too. My dad knew the coaches, so I got to meet Coach Weinert and Coach Larranaga. It was so cool the first time I was in Coach L's office and saw the big signed poster of Ralph Sampson (Coach L was an assistant at Virginia when Sampson was there).
My best friend, Ravi, and I drove over to BG once or maybe we were driven over. I don't remember how old we were, but I remember getting on the floor and shooting around with the team before one of their practices. I clearly remember Anthony Robinson being so friendly and shooting with us, even poking a little fun! Dan Raupp and Scott Kalish were there then too, if I recall correctly.
Then college came, I went away to Miami for a semester and honestly missed Anderson Arena. When I transferred back to BGSU it was like coming home. Lots of people went to the library to study and/or do homework, I went to Anderson Arena. I'd sit in the press row, or in Section L, Row 7, Seat 1, one of the seats my parents had as season ticket holders since... well, I guess the early 70s (and I still hold L,7,1 today). I'd always cut through AA on my way to or from class, I'd sit and watch basketball and/or volleyball practice, phys-ed classes (badminton was fun to watch), or anything else that might have been going on.
When I wrote the first note to my now-wife, Maryellen, I listed a litany of things I liked, one of those things was the sound of sneakers squeaking in an empty gym... that came directly from my times in Anderson.
After being enrolled for a year, I signed up for BGSU Athletic Band and for 4 seasons, I didn't miss a men's or women's basketball game. It was one of the best things ever... playing my bass for the games. Back then, they mostly played double-headers too... so I'd be in Anderson Arena for hours and hours at a time. It never got old... Lori Albers, Susie Cassell, Wanda Lyle, Talita Scott, Kirk Whiteman, Ed Colbert, Shane Komives, Tom Hall, Joe Moore, Clinton Venable... too many great BG players (and not so great players) to mention! I put the word “SLAM” on the back of my bass with masking tape and would flip it over and hold it over my head whenever Joe Moore or Tom Hall would finish on an alley-oop!
I've seen so many great players in Anderson... I met Nate Thurmond, Ron Harper, Wally Szczerbiak, and got to see so many other future great NBA players play there, Jim Jackson, Steve Smith, Chris Webber, Earl Boykins, Kenny Battle, Gary Trent... not to mention the greatest Falcon of my era, Antonio Daniels... and the current era of success in the women's program... I could go on and on about basketball, but Anderson Arena is more than that to me.
I first heard the announcement that Operation Desert Shield had become Operation Desert Storm in Anderson Arena... I got to see Mel Torme in concert there, my graduation ceremony was in Anderson... It's just a part of me. And, I mean, it's got THE GREATEST string of urinals in the civilized world!! And when it's COLD outside, it's always about 90 degrees at this stretch of urinals in the Anderson Arena men's room.
When my dad died in 2001, he was cremated. Not having a grave-site, I have used Anderson Arena as my place to go and mourn, remember, and talk to dad... I've sat in “his” bleacher seat (my season ticket - L,7,1) in an empty arena and cried... I told him we were going to have a baby there... and I always try to get to games a little early and just go up and sit there for a few minutes before moving down to my un-official seat in the student section.
So, when my wife and I were thinking of baby names, I had originally suggested “Anderson Doyt Cummings” as a joke, but we ended up really liking “Anderson.” We were pretty sure we were having a boy (so much for women's intuition!!) and we were set on the name “Anderson Dayne Cummings.” So, imagine our surprise when the midwife in the delivery room made ME check the sex of our baby and it was a girl!! We had “Sarah” and “Reagan” as our girl baby names, but right away, Maryellen and I knew that those weren't really “right.” As soon as she was on Maryellen's chest we said “We could still use 'Anderson' just spell it with a 'y' or something...” And so there you have it...
So, tonight, I finished up a little project I'd thought of several weeks ago... “Andersyn's Arena” I'm pretty proud of it!! And I can't wait to talk to dad about it next time I'm in Anderson Arena.
----------
NOTE: This story can be found at Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.com as well, with several accompanying photos. Click here to read the story at Grant's site.
Do you have similar memories of Anderson Arena that day? Was there a BGSU men's or women's basketball game that you still tell your friends about to this day? Maybe your fondest memory of Anderson came at a volleyball or wrestling match, or a concert or graduation. Whatever your memory, we'd love to hear it. Click here to share it with us, and perhaps you will see your own recollections of Anderson Arena right here at BGSUFalcons.com in the near future. Roll Along!
To submit a vote for the All-Anderson Team, to share your favorite memory of Anderson Arena or to keep up with the progress of the Stroh Center construction, Click Here. We will be sharing some of your fondest memories of Anderson Arena here at BGSUFalcons.com in the coming weeks and months.
Grant Cummings, the founder of the website Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.com, is a typical Falcon fan in that he has spent countless hours in and around Anderson Arena. Everyone has his or her own perspective on the arena, and Grant's story is a great one. He shared his story on his own website a while back, and was kind enough to allow us to reprint it here at BGSUFalcons.com ...
----------
What's in a name?
A lot of people don't know why my daughter, Andersyn, is named what she is. There's a long story behind it; or more like a hundred little stories. Here is an attempt to explain it a little...
I think my earliest memory of Anderson Arena was when I was 8 years old; 32+ years ago. I went to games with my mom and dad. Mike Miday, Emzur Shurelds, John Flowers, Dick Miller, I was hooked!!
All through grade school, middle school and high school, I went to BG basketball games. Men's and some women's games too. My dad knew the coaches, so I got to meet Coach Weinert and Coach Larranaga. It was so cool the first time I was in Coach L's office and saw the big signed poster of Ralph Sampson (Coach L was an assistant at Virginia when Sampson was there).
My best friend, Ravi, and I drove over to BG once or maybe we were driven over. I don't remember how old we were, but I remember getting on the floor and shooting around with the team before one of their practices. I clearly remember Anthony Robinson being so friendly and shooting with us, even poking a little fun! Dan Raupp and Scott Kalish were there then too, if I recall correctly.
Then college came, I went away to Miami for a semester and honestly missed Anderson Arena. When I transferred back to BGSU it was like coming home. Lots of people went to the library to study and/or do homework, I went to Anderson Arena. I'd sit in the press row, or in Section L, Row 7, Seat 1, one of the seats my parents had as season ticket holders since... well, I guess the early 70s (and I still hold L,7,1 today). I'd always cut through AA on my way to or from class, I'd sit and watch basketball and/or volleyball practice, phys-ed classes (badminton was fun to watch), or anything else that might have been going on.
When I wrote the first note to my now-wife, Maryellen, I listed a litany of things I liked, one of those things was the sound of sneakers squeaking in an empty gym... that came directly from my times in Anderson.
After being enrolled for a year, I signed up for BGSU Athletic Band and for 4 seasons, I didn't miss a men's or women's basketball game. It was one of the best things ever... playing my bass for the games. Back then, they mostly played double-headers too... so I'd be in Anderson Arena for hours and hours at a time. It never got old... Lori Albers, Susie Cassell, Wanda Lyle, Talita Scott, Kirk Whiteman, Ed Colbert, Shane Komives, Tom Hall, Joe Moore, Clinton Venable... too many great BG players (and not so great players) to mention! I put the word “SLAM” on the back of my bass with masking tape and would flip it over and hold it over my head whenever Joe Moore or Tom Hall would finish on an alley-oop!
I've seen so many great players in Anderson... I met Nate Thurmond, Ron Harper, Wally Szczerbiak, and got to see so many other future great NBA players play there, Jim Jackson, Steve Smith, Chris Webber, Earl Boykins, Kenny Battle, Gary Trent... not to mention the greatest Falcon of my era, Antonio Daniels... and the current era of success in the women's program... I could go on and on about basketball, but Anderson Arena is more than that to me.
I first heard the announcement that Operation Desert Shield had become Operation Desert Storm in Anderson Arena... I got to see Mel Torme in concert there, my graduation ceremony was in Anderson... It's just a part of me. And, I mean, it's got THE GREATEST string of urinals in the civilized world!! And when it's COLD outside, it's always about 90 degrees at this stretch of urinals in the Anderson Arena men's room.
When my dad died in 2001, he was cremated. Not having a grave-site, I have used Anderson Arena as my place to go and mourn, remember, and talk to dad... I've sat in “his” bleacher seat (my season ticket - L,7,1) in an empty arena and cried... I told him we were going to have a baby there... and I always try to get to games a little early and just go up and sit there for a few minutes before moving down to my un-official seat in the student section.
So, when my wife and I were thinking of baby names, I had originally suggested “Anderson Doyt Cummings” as a joke, but we ended up really liking “Anderson.” We were pretty sure we were having a boy (so much for women's intuition!!) and we were set on the name “Anderson Dayne Cummings.” So, imagine our surprise when the midwife in the delivery room made ME check the sex of our baby and it was a girl!! We had “Sarah” and “Reagan” as our girl baby names, but right away, Maryellen and I knew that those weren't really “right.” As soon as she was on Maryellen's chest we said “We could still use 'Anderson' just spell it with a 'y' or something...” And so there you have it...
So, tonight, I finished up a little project I'd thought of several weeks ago... “Andersyn's Arena” I'm pretty proud of it!! And I can't wait to talk to dad about it next time I'm in Anderson Arena.
----------
NOTE: This story can be found at Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.com as well, with several accompanying photos. Click here to read the story at Grant's site.
Do you have similar memories of Anderson Arena that day? Was there a BGSU men's or women's basketball game that you still tell your friends about to this day? Maybe your fondest memory of Anderson came at a volleyball or wrestling match, or a concert or graduation. Whatever your memory, we'd love to hear it. Click here to share it with us, and perhaps you will see your own recollections of Anderson Arena right here at BGSUFalcons.com in the near future. Roll Along!
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