Toilet Paper Night

Just got back from John Brown University, I had a blast covering the Toilet Paper Game. If you don't know, the Golden Eagles have a great (if not strange) tradition of throwing rolls of toilet paper onto the court after the first basket at their home opener. Monday night they played Hillsdale Baptist, and won easily. But that wasn't the story by any stretch. The gym was absolutely packed with great fans, and for a small school, the atmosphere was great.
The best part of it all was the genuine fun the crowd was having. No ESPN cameras, no big opponent. Just a school proud of it's tradition, and willing to embrace it.
On a final note, at halftime the Golden Eagles retired the jersey of Brandon Cole. Aside from being the NCAA's career leader in 3 pointers made (527), Cole was part of John Brown's 2005 National Championship team. Personally, I've yet to meet a more centered, articulated, and genuinely good-hearted young man. I sound old I know, but guess what? I deal with athletes all the time. Many are me-first, showboaters, and a lot of them couldn't possibly read or write on the college level. But Cole was a pleasure to interview. From being humble to deflecting praise onto his teammates, friends, coaches, and family, Cole has his life in order and I only wish more young men were like him. Congrats to Brandon (he plans to play overseas in Europe), and thanks to the folks at John Brown for a great night!