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Men's Basketball
Packer Backer
Jan. 4, 2009 There is a somber mood radiating through Adam Koch's college house on the morning of November 25. It is a sad day for the junior forward even though his circumstances may seem to support any excuse for distress. Coming off a season-high scoring performance in a win versus Texas Southern and a solid start to the 2008-09 season, one would think that Koch's spirits would be high. So why is he dejected? Koch bleeds green and gold, and the Packers fell to the Saints last night. Growing up as a Packer fan, Koch has seen his team play through the good and the bad. His emotional attachment to the team, like many die-hards, has influenced his mood for the rest of the day or even week. "If the Packers lost on Sunday, it was a bad week until the next Sunday. Still, for me, it can ruin the day if the Packers lose," said Koch. Koch has witnessed many of the Packs' trials and tribulations firsthand too. "When I was young, I'd go [to Packer games] all of the time. I was kind of spoiled that way," said Koch. One could say that `cheesehead' is practically part of Koch's DNA as Packer-backing has been part of Koch's family for decades. Koch's family has had season tickets since the Lombardi era. "[The season tickets] were my grandpa's first, and he had them since before the Ice Bowl. When he passed away, we had them so they've been in the family for a long time," said Koch. Attending just one game at legendary Lambeau Field is a dream for many, but for the Ashwaubenon natives seeing the Pack live is as easy as a fifteen-minute walk. "Lambeau is actually in Ashwaubenon. We live like a mile and a half to two miles away from there," said Koch. Making it to Lambeau has been a little tougher the last few years for Koch, however. "Since I've been here I've only gone to one game. With basketball I'm pretty busy," said Koch. Spending less time at Lambeau and more time at McLeod doesn't seem to bother Koch though. He may be hundreds of miles away from Ashwaubenon, but Koch feels at home in Cedar Falls. "It's kind of the same place here. The coaches and players and everybody gets along. It's like a family here away from home, which is something I really like," said Koch. Within the last year, the UNI men's basketball family has seen the departure of many key leaders and the birth of new batch of elders. With only one active senior, the junior Koch has found himself in a more leadership role this season. "It's been an adjustment this year. I'm not much of a vocal leader, yelling at everybody, but I do help out the younger guys with the plays and where they need to be," said Koch. If not considered a fatherly figure, Koch at least plays the part of older brother on the team, literally. Koch's younger brother, Jake, is a freshman on the team. Jake is recovering from a broken ankle, so the two brothers haven't shared the floor at practice until recently. Koch anticipates the sibling rivalry to be present on the floor every day. "It's good having him down here, but I'm sure things will get competitive pretty quick," said Koch. Koch's brother shares the same emotional attachment to the Packers, so tempers were flaring as the two watched their team lose its Monday night game. "It was tough to watch. We were yelling a lot," said Koch. Even though the Pack didn't have the season that Koch would have liked, he's now focused on the MVC basketball season at hand, hoping to get the Panthers in contention for a high seed at the Valley tournament, with the goal of winning the conference title and advancing to the NCAA tournament. |
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