If you ask yourself, why is this guy called Panda? Fear not, I have the answer for you. The reason they call me Panda is my slender figure…. and as J Money said, I am lovable and cuddly, and have a love for bamboo.
I generally enjoy long walks on the golf course chasing a Titleist Pro V1x, watching sports -- mainly college basketball and football, but some of everything else as well -- and traveling.
Sports have always been apart of my life, and I actually had a very successful middle school career in basketball and track. In basketball for the Wainwright Mustangs, my B-Team was 0-27 over two seasons. I averaged .11 of a point, .4 of a rebound, and about three fouls per game. If I would have gone on to play in college, I could have been the next Tom Prichard. That B-Team was almost as bad as IU football…almost.
In track I ran the 200-meter at a lightning fast, Olympic trials quality 42 seconds.
Although clearly many D-1 offers were in the cards for me in both track and basketball, I decided to go a more traditional route and get my degree at Purdue. Many students/alumni first discover their love for this university when they became students, mine started way before that.
Both of my parents are alumni, and growing up in Lafayette, I had the opportunity to attend many football games at a very early age. I am told the first time I cursed was at a Purdue football game in the Colletto era; those of you who remember the Colletto era definitely understand why I cursed. [Sigh. Yes, yes we do. --J]
My favorite memory of a sporting event at Purdue had to be in 2000 at the Ohio State vs. Purdue game with the “Holy Toledo” pass to help clinch the Rose Bowl. At the age of 9 years old, I rushed the field with my mother. Yeah my mother is a bad ass. You can still find her rushing the field during big games from the South End Zone seats we have had for years.They say that you can only describe yourself so much, so I asked my friend Jeremy to describe my love for sports. In his words, “James is such a sports fan that if he could get high on it even Barlow would be jealous.”
My love for Purdue athletics will continue throughout my life and I will continue to go to as many football, basketball and volleyball games I can following my graduation in a little over a year. I look forward to serving you as a member for the Boiled Sports team and cannot wait to extend my knowledge and opinion to you as a writer for this site.
You can find me on twitter @JamesEvens and generally at Harry’s Chocolate Shop on the weekends in the summer and some during the school year. Feel free to contact me with any questions or any desire to buy me a drink.