MANHATTAN – Kansas State head football coach Bill Snyder today sent a formal letter to the NCAA, NBC Entertainment and the fashion industry requesting the return of Friends to the airwaves and Zubaz pants to popular culture.
“At Kansas State University, we’re trying to recapture some of the magic that nearly brought us to the top of the mountain during the 1990s,” wrote Snyder, whose Wildcats are off to a 1-2 start this year. “Obviously, we’re doing everything we can to restore the pride, but we need your help as well.”
Snyder, 69, led one of the greatest turnarounds in NCAA history – taking over the Kansas State football program in 1989, just before the explosion of Zubaz pants into popular culture. Before Snyder arrived, Kansas State had one of the worst football programs in college football. However, within 10 years, he had the Wildcats on the brink of a national championship game in 1998.
“Players like Michael Bishop, Terrance Newman and Darren Sproles helped us build the football dynasty, but Zubaz pants were so flippin’ comfortable. A lot of people don’t know this but I actually did most of my coaching in those pants,” said Snyder. “And you could get them in any color combination. It was crazy. You could walk around in purple and white Zubaz pants all day long. We’ve got to bring them back. For the good of K-State.”
After two losing seasons, Snyder announced his retirement in 2005. He was followed by Ron Prince, who took the Wildcats to a bowl game in 2006 before watching the program spiral downward until he was fired after last season. Faced with the prospect of falling entirely off the college football landscape, Kansas State once again turned to Snyder to lead the team back to the top of the Big 12 conference.
“If we could just bring those pants back, it will be just like it was back in the early 90’s, and I think that sets us up for another nice run in the Big 12 north,” said Snyder.
The return of Friends was also highlighted many times throughout the letter. Snyder points out that the show was picked up by NBC early in 1994, just a few months after his first bowl win as the Wildcats’ coach. As Friends was climbing the ratings charts, the Wildcats were climbing the polls.
“A lot of people give the sole credit to me for the turnaround,” Snyder said. “Of course, I was in the office close to 20, 21 hours a day. But for at least two hours each day I was kicking back in my recliner, cracking up at Chandler and Joey, one of the greatest 1-2 combinations in television history.
Friends went off the air in 2004. We missed our first bowl game in 12 years in 2004 and things haven’t been the same since.”
Word of the letter received mixed reaction from K-State fans.
“Is that what old people are watching these days, Friends?” said Kansas State freshman and Derrick Ryland. “I guess it’s better than Matlock. But unless it’s helping him recruit a 4-star quarterback, I’m not sure how it’s going to help K-State win again. And I don’t know what the hell Zubaz are.”
No comments:
Post a Comment