Remembering a good friend ...

[Mark Miller]

Take a quick peek at the cover photo on WisSports.net's Boys' Basketball page ... it features a guard from Racine Case named Tyrese Pinson, but in the background is none other than Dennis, a longtime friend and MU season-ticket holder since 1965.

As so many of you know, Dennis passed away last spring. RIP, Dennis. You are missed!!!

http://www.wissports.net/page/show/532562-boys-basketball

[AlexJesswein]

RIP Dennis, glad to have met you!

[IWB]

Dennis was one of "those guys" that was always around. In the summers he would come to the Pro-Am at 10:00 (even though games didn't start until 11:30) stay until the end, then leave for Mequon for NY2LA AAU games and stay there until it was done. He probably saw more basketball over the summers than all of us combined. He was at the Pro-Am every single day we played until this year. He would hit me up at Madness, at scrimmages, at high school games....anywhere I would be, I would hear someone yell, "HEY GANZER!!! WHERE ARE WE AT WITH STEVE TAYLOR? WHERE ARE WE AT WITH DIAMOND STONE?" As I said, he was "one of those guys".

Sorry guys, story time......

Dennis was from a different mold than Mike, but he had the same MU dedication as Park The Shark - another classic. Admittedly, I miss Park the Shark a great deal. Got to know Park early on and went on a few road trips with him. Towards the end of his battle with cancer I took him to the year end banquet at Buzz' request and took him to meet with the team in the Kasten Gym before the event, where Buzz had the players hold their hands over him and pray. Took him home that night where he made me come in so I could listen to him tell his wife about the night. He said, "It was a great event, I'm going again next year!" His wife looked at me and smiled, both of us knowing that it was very unlikely that there would be a next year.

Two weeks later Park called me and said he wanted to take me out to lunch to thank me. When I went to pick him up, I went in as Park had taped some games of a new recruit, Jamail Jones, so we sat and watched a couple of games. We went and had lunch at Saz', and when I took him home he didn't go up steps on the front porch like every other time, he went down the driveway to the back door. As I watched him walk down that Tosa driveway, I sat there watching him knowing in my heart it would be the last time I saw him. It was a very short time after that I got a call that he had passed away. I can still see him walking down that driveway like it was 10 minutes ago.

I say to people often, this message board is something else. We are a group of friends who talk to each other every single day, yet one of you could be standing next to me and we wouldn't know it because many of us have never met in person, even though we know each other backwards and forwards. Whether it is this board, Doddsy's board or Scoop, MU fans are a tight knit group whether we really know each other or not!

[CaribouJim]

Didn't know Dennis, but knew Mike. Both were insane MU fans - in a good way. Mike was beyond a nice guy. I still haven't deleted the e-mails I had exchanged with him.

[MU/Panther]

I knew Dennis very well and that is our friend Terry two spots away from Dennis in that photo. Went to many Pro-am games and high school games with Dennis. Always came down and sat with him before MU games and had some cookies with him.

Dennis and crew drove down to Orlando to meet my wife and I for the Old Spice Classic/Honeymoon. It was a great time beating Xavier and Michigan, untill the loss to Florida State.



Dennis was a great Marquette fan, but had Milwaukee Panthers season-tickets for many years as well. Also, a Packers and Brewers fan. It's not the same without this summer at the Pro-Am.

[IWB]

That was a travelling group - Dennis, Terry and Bossman. Terry was there twice this year, Bossman has yet to show. Had Dennis still been around, I bet all three would have been there every day.

[Markedman]

I remember meeting Mike the first time. Somebody had the idea for the posters from the old Rivals site to meet at a bar near the old arena before midnight madness......I decided to stop by even though I didn't know anybody. I ordered a drink and as I was waiting for it Mike walked up and we just started talking MU hoops........talked that night for a long time before going to MM.....what a nice guy he was.

Trip many of us went on to see Dominic in high school is still a great memory for me.........sigh...how time flies

[BLT]

Nice stories guys. A Band of Brothers feel to it.

[IWB]

Mark -nothing like seeing a high school game in Indiana - We got there in time for the JV game but were told we had to move up because the lower level was all season tickets. Place held what, 9-10k? Then there was a 1/2 hour of traditional ceremonies before the game. Most of which was Indian ceremonies by Anderson, but also warmup stuff that both teams did. I asked Dominic about it afterwards, he said every team in their conference did it. On to the game - 20 seconds in Dominic goes down, we thought we wasted the weekend. Fans said no, only cramps, happens very game. Came back to have a hell of a night including the game winning shot.

It was ParkTheShark, Markedman, me, Ted Baxter, Mark Miller and Skyhook. Am I missing someone? "Bloom" sat with us during the game as well. The game was broadcast on two radio stations, the Richmond broadcast play by play man was Vegas Ferguson.

After the game Bolser told me he credited the win to MU assistant Jason Rabideaux. There was another kid on the team, glasses I think, that had a great game and made key shots. Bolser said that a few weeks prior that Rab watched a game and then practice the next day. He asked about the kid and Bolser told him he was often suspended for grades, didn't show up from time to time etc etc. Rab asked if he could talk to the kid. Said Rab went up into the bleachers with the kid and they talked for close to an hour. Said since that day the kid didn't miss a class, didn't miss a practice, worked his ass off and it showed on the court, and Chad credited that kid with the win, and Rab, saying that if it weren't for that talk, the kid would likely have been suspended again.

[CaribouJim]

Vegas Ferguson? As in ND running back Vegas Ferguson?

[ge1974]

Yes, another Richmond High School graduate.

[eastly]

Think about Mike every day...and also kept some of his emails. Only knew his wife a little bit, but regret not keeping in touch other than XMas cards and an occasional email. Many times I've wanted to call his son and invite him over to play guitar together, but then think otherwise, as so much time has elapsed since Mike's passing.

[TedBaxter]

I knew both Dennis and Mike and the thought of both puts a smile on my face. I'm not sure what makes me smile more, Dennis repeatedly telling a couple of us that Jamil Wilson was coming to Marquette while he was in high school and then after Jamil transferred to MU, Dennis saying "I told you so" or Mike and I watching MU recruits play terribly in high school games we attended with my favorite being the time we met at St. John's Military Academy to see Trevon Hughes play as a sophomore only to find out from one of his teammates that Trevon couldn't play on Saturdays because of a fight he had in school as a freshman.

[IWB]

Dominic James
Vegas Ferguson
and golfer Bo Van Pelt