Lucky Bronze Pork
The Kansas Jayhawks play the North Carolina Tarheels this evening. Soon.
They will play in San Antonio, but here in Lawrence, people are losing their minds. I know, I know, it's just a
stupid game - but when you live in the very center of the game, the damn Naismith birthplace of said stupid
game - well, there is no beating them. So you might as well join them.
And that means Rock Chalk - please!
It's a pretty even match, but everyone can use a little luck, right? Good luck.
The kind of luck only a bronze pig snout can bring.
This big beautiful guy is on the "Country Club Plaza" in Kansas City, Missour-ah, one
of the first outdoor shopping-leisure-pleasure zones in the country (thank you!), dating
from 1922. It's home to incredible art, great shopping, and amazing Spanish-style architecture.
Yep, right in Kan-sas City. BBQ and Seville-replica clock towers make an oddly perfect match!
This boar sculpture - he's one of the only early reproductions of some famous Florence sculptor's
work - Borricelli, Botticelli, Vermicelli, I don't remember - but he is more than that. He is a lucky pig.
I know ths because everyone who walks by him on the Plaza has been rubbing his snout for
luck. For decades. As you can imagine, and as you can see, above, this has not left a lot of bronze
on the snout.
But he has, apparently, brought luck to a lot of people. That's Josie's hand up there, rubbing off
bronze -- please, well-sculpted lucky boar, let it be for the Jayhawks. I want a happy family in the off-season.
Porky PS: the post title is inspired not only by Chinese food - just writing "Lucky Bronze Pork"
made me want to dial up some twice-cooked, and a few dumplings - but by the very funny
and talented cartoon blog Lucky Pork, she of the amusing drawings and the delicious name. Thanks
to Jean for the blog tip - and be sure to check it out!
i. am. shocked. Was sure the tarheels would take it. Hope the patrol was staffed up for the night; Mass looks like a mess....even more so than a usual Saturday nite.
Congrats to the fam on their dream come true.
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Well, reporting (almost) live from Mass St -- a drunken mess to be sure and 30,000 people out - good lord. The lucky pork worked!
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I love visiting The Plaza! One of Ted's best friends lives right off of it, and his sister is also pretty close by. In fact, we gave her a framed set of antique postcards of the Plaza for Christmas that I had collected on eBay last year.
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I was born and raised in Kansas City (not far from the CCP) and I always say "Mi-zou-ree"!
Great shot of the Plaza; I see the Easter bunnies are out. I can't quite make it out: Do they still have the orange light bulb eyes (or are they red?)?
In following up on the big win (Go, Hawks!!) I read that the 700 block of Ohio is getting their brick street back. So now the 800 block has to raise the money and do it, too?
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Yippie on the Win.
On my brackets I picked Kansas and UCLA for the final game. So Kansas has to win the big one. Then my bracket will beat all of the guys who study BBall and watch ESPN all the time.
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p.s. I did pick Kansas to win.
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Our university had a bronze of the same Bernini boar in the lobby of the Modern Languages building. If only I'd known to rub its snout, I might have aced more of my French exams.
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We've been rooting for you! Rock chalk Jayhawk!
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Thanks, everyone - it's halftime in the Final right now - come on and rub that snout for luck!
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Well done, all of you, for rubbing the nose of the lucky boar on the Plaza! All hail to thee, our Alma Mater, KU won!!
Hallelujah!!!
Now if only the celebration doesn't tear up Mass Street and the rest of Lawrence (you can probably hear it from your house, eh?)!
Whoop!!
(KU BArch 1978)
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Thanks, Kate! I'm not usually a "wooooo!" girl, but Wooooo Wooo! We just came IN from over 20,000 people filling Mass St - and I can still hear it all. What a night, and how smart of us to build a house in walking distance from the party! Thanks for all the luck, bronze snout. Rock Chalk!
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