The Little Bus That Could - By Eric Neff

Each time I step onto a Weber State bus two things automatically go through my head. First, will we actually make it to our destination, and second, are the cheerleaders coming with us? After our last road trip, an exasperating journey to White Trash Missoula for an FCS playoff game, I have doubted the ability of Weber State’s buses to get fans to their intended destinations. A night in Deer Lodge Montana will do that to you. Deer Lodge is not the most glamorous spot in Montana, hell in all honesty, I wouldn’t doubt if Montanans have erased it from off their maps. It’s very similar to a black hole, but not one that could hold back the stellar efforts of the GREYGOOSE!! However, last night that very same super bus, failed the students of Weber State. Granted, every superhero needs a night off once in a while. Unfortunately, that night was last night. As I stepped onto the bus, my thoughts automatically returned me to that fateful night in Deer Lodge: Jimmy was sick from eating too much candy, crazy lady slapped Bev, and worst of all Weber had lost the football game to the hated White Trash Grizz.

Throughout this week, which preceded the first road trip since that fateful event, I have been paralyzed by apprehension and fear. I am one who believes in facing my fears, and thus signed up for the annual road trip to the WSU/ISU basketball game. However, my fears wouldn’t easily subside, as the memory of the last road trip flooded my mind. But, to my utter most relief, once I arrived in the parking lot of the Alumni Center, I spotted the mighty Grey Goose, and realized that this Super bus was to be our transportation to Potatoville. The fear subsided, and the excitement mounted, as we were about to embark on our expedition to the first of two rivalry games with the ISU Potatoes.

Unfortunately, despair was to overcast our hopes and excitement. Willie Page and I both let out a sigh once the Grey Goose started faltering. If the mighty Grey Goose wasn’t able to get us to Potatoville, then what were the devoted students of Weber to do, besides, the Cheerleaders were with us this time (even though none of us had a chance with any of them), and it was after all ISU, our hated, despised, and easily beatable rivals. Even though the rivalry is practically once sides, especially in football, we all knew that tonight’s game would be huge, and that the boys in Royal Purple needed the support of their fans. Yet, the Grey Goose, though it tried, would not be taking us to Potatoville. Bemoaned by the inability of the Grey Goose, another hero would step up on the “BIG STAGE, though it had two fouls,” for the Cats on this fateful night…

Like the little engine that could, one of the regular shuttle buses was used as our transportation. This little bus couldn’t go over 67mph, didn’t have enough seats, was grudgingly chilly as cold air slipped in through cracks, and overheated in riverside; yet, it refused to be denied. At 7:10 the Shuttle Bus that Could entered the LOLT Arena parking lot full of fanatical Weber State fans. Because of the late arrival, the rabid fans were unable to express their appreciation to the little bus that could, but that didn’t matter, all the bus wanted was a Weber State victory on this normal, cold, dingy, and ugly Idaho night. Though small in number, this small group would be louder than the 3,200 ISU fans, and help drive the Wildcats onto victory in a classic Over Time game between the two rivals. By the way, the cheerleaders, especially the dancers, who were on the bus, were really hot! BVB is definitely one lucky duder.

After a long night of struggling, the little bus brought back those faithful and appreciative Weber State fans. On this night we had witnessed two of the greatest spectacles of in Weber State history: A come from behind win on our rivals’ court, and the shaping of a hero…in the form of the Shuttle Bus that Could.

Good Week For Weber. Bad Week For Me.

What a depressing week it was for me! More specifically, what a depressing weekend it was for me! Last Saturday could have become one of the greatest Weber State sports memories of my life, but alas, it wasn’t and won’t be.
I had the chance to make two great memories for myself, but instead found myself buried under books and papers, trying to get caught up with my classes.

First of all, I could have made the trip with two of my brothers, several friends, and over 2,000 fans to Idaho State to see the Wildcats rip the Bengals to pieces, clinching their first Big Sky Championship if a very, very long time. As I watched the highlights on the news, read the stories in the papers, and watched Cheese’s highlight video on weberhoops.com (That video is seen below), I became irate at the fact that for some reason Weber State chose this year, when I’m too busy to even sleep, to be good at football! It just sucks. And it depresses me. However, there is some hope as Weber’s offense next year looks to return almost everybody and Mac extended his contract another four years. Maybe they’ll win the Big Sky next year at home and I will be able to rush the field like a mad man.

Since I wasn’t able to make the trip to Pocatello and was at home with my one-year-old daughter, I thought maybe if I could dig in and get my papers written, I’d have the chance of taking my daughter to see her first Weber State basketball game at the Dee that night. Unfortunately, that memory never happened. I just had too much to do. We will have to make that memory another day. The good news here is I did buy season tickets and I will have a whole month of no classes in December, where I will surely be able to take her to a game and witness the miracle of purple slowly filling her veins.