Written by Eamonn Brennan, the article chronicles the end of Ryan Clark's massive streak. You see Ryan is a Texas basketball fan. Some might call him a fanatic. Clark traveled and attended every University of Texas basketball game over a 7 year period, 254 games in all.
"In all, starting with the 2006 Big 12 tournament, Clark has traveled 156,397 total miles -- 92,193 by car, 64,204 by plane. He's seen Texas play in 28 states, from New York to Hawaii, Washington to Wisconsin, North Carolina to Arizona."
To travel and root on your college team for one year is sometime many college kids talk about, but few actually do. Now remember, Clark did it for 7 years, quite a few after graduating with a full time job. On top of all that, Clark wrote about the entire experience, for close to a decade, on his blog, Longhorn Road Trip.
Traveling with your team for an entire season is an amazing feat on its own. Writing about it takes this journey to a whole new level and dedication. His was honored in 2007 by the team with the Slater Martin Award, "presented to a person in recognition of outstanding effort in support of the basketball program."
Strangely, but not really, Clark met his future wife, where else at a UT basketball game. She was a member of the UT band; he a thirsty fan. Brennan writes:
The article is an amazing testament to an amazing guy. His dedication to his team is something that all of us can only envy. Even more, Texas has been very inconsistent with some great seasons and some not so great seasons. But true fans stick it out with their teams regardless of their record. Clark is beyond a true fan. One can only image that the number of games attended would have been higher if Texas got past the first weekend NCAA tournament more often."In 2008, the streak took a new and unexpected turn. At a round of 32 game in Little Rock, Ark., Clark found himself parched, and he asked a female member of the band to get him a cup of water from one of the NCAA-sanctioned jugs. The band member said no."About 10 minutes after that -- I'm the kind of person where if I don't get food I get really dizzy and cranky -- I realized this guy might be able to help me out," Alyssa Hudson said. "I gave him some of my per diem to go get me some food from the concessions in exchange for some water. For a while, I thought, 'Oh, great, this guy just walked off with my per diem.' But a few minutes later he came back with the nachos."Clark ended up finding Hudson on Facebook a few days later. They started talking, and then dating, and before long, Hudson was joining her boyfriend for the famed road trips she'd been so fascinated by, and cheerfully calling herself a "basketball widow" when she couldn't go along for the ride. Last fall, she came along for UT's ugly run in the Maui Invitational, and Clark proposed.They will be married next April — just a few weeks after the college basketball season ends."
I only wish to be Clark. I am a massive University of Connecticut fan. With two great basketball teams (men and women's), I only wish I could do what Clark did and follow them around the country, even for just a year. Here on the blog, we document our journeys to college football games through Will Travel for College Football, but don't be surprised when I tell you I am flying to XYZ to watch the University of Connecticut play bball. This guy has inspired me.
After 254 games, 156,000+ miles, and many stories, Clark called it quits in March. His streak might be over, but Clark has a permanent place in my heart and on my mantel as a true FAN.
If you could, what team would you travel for an entire season to watch?
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