Waco, I reckon.
It’s been about 8 weeks since sports ended and I’m reeling. I didn’t realize how much I’d miss it. I’m not so much of a die hard fan that I’ve taken to watching old games or anything. However, I have found joy in watching Roger Federer’s #tennisathome challenge and LeBron James tik toking with his family. As of late, I’ve resorted to thumbing through photos on my phone of me on location, and realized I never wrote about Waco.
I’m sure when you think of Waco, you think David Koresh. Well, probably not now. Perhaps you think Chip and Joanna Gaines. Or maybe Baylor University comes to mind. Well, I’m writing about the latter two, but, reflect for a moment that such a crazy moment in history has been outshined by shiplap. Rightfully so.
When I found out I was going to the Baylor(1) v Kansas(3) Men’s Basketball game, I was ecstatic for weeks! CBS Hoops Senior Writer Matt Norlander can attest to my excitement. I knew I was going to be in for a nail biting game and I was going to Waco - land of the Gaineses and I needed to absorb all that is Magnolia. Ok, for those of you not well-versed in the HGTV world, Chip and Joanna Gaines had a show called Fixer Upper. For 5 seasons, we enjoyed Joanna’s no-nonsense demeanor and laughed at Chip’s wild-man physicality while they remodeled homes for their central Texas clients. It doesn’t stop with Magnolia Homes for them, they also have Magnolia Table, Magnolia Press, Little Shop on Bosque, Silos Baking Co. and more than I could visit in my weekend trip.
Thursday
Matt and I make our way from Dallas Airport to Waco. We play a game that I usually do when I’m in an obscure area and I need to connect with my surroundings. We take turns picking music selections by artists from Texas or songs about Texas.
Old 97s
Beyoncé
Dixie Chicks
George Strait
We arrive at our hotel.
Waco seems unassuming and flat. Is this it? I shrug it off. Tomorrow will be a long day.
Friday
Having heard that the lines would be long for Magnolia Table, we get up early to conquer the day with breakfast. The restaurant opens at 6am. We arrive at 7:45am it’s pretty full. On a Friday! Fortunately, we’re able to snag a table right away. We chat with a couple next to us. It’s their first time visiting the restaurant, as well, and they’re highly impressed with their meal. My smile grows bigger in anticipation.
Matt and I gluttonously share Lemon Lavender Donut Holes as a starter. It’s a great way to begin. The lemon makes these bite sized cake donuts pop with flavor. It’s a perfect balance- bright, not too sweet. After many recommendations from the server and our seat mates, I go for the butter pecan pancakes with pumpkin butter, eggs, bacon, and their house-made tater tots. Joanna has figured out how to have a decadent southern breakfast without feeling like you’ve had a week’s worth of calories in one sitting. We’re fueled and now off to work.
The Ferrell Center is nice. There’s no “it’s bigger in Texas” vibe going on. It looks like it’s a place to come put in work, and that’s what I witness. It’s evident that these young men have had a great season, so far, and know what’s at stake tomorrow. After a few hours, a changing of the guards happens on the same court. Baylor is out. Kansas swoops in. I see the same intensity in their practice. There’s no let up, so I know it’s going to be a good game. It’s my first time at Baylor, and I’ve covered Kansas before. There’s familiarity with Coach Self and Asst. AD Theisen, and they recognize it which delights me. The rapport is a nod to me settling in to my job. I like it.
***
Evening comes and there’s a media dinner back at Magnolia Table that evening. This is a Texas meal — heavy appetizers, large portions of steak, copious amounts of wine, and a huge slice of chocolate cake for dessert. While I carb load, I meet Emily, the wife of the SID for Baylor Men’s Basketball.
I had wondered what made this city significant. Why choose Waco? I’ve located an insider.
Over clinking wine glasses, Emily explains that because of the 1953 tornado: “Waco crumbled. It’s taken a long time for Waco to come back… [the city] got set back so far that it’s taken a long time for the development to come. Everything went to Austin or Dallas … now that [those cities] are getting so big and expensive, it’s that kismet moment. Chip and Joanna brought attention here, and everything is starting to come back to Waco.”
There’s a nationwide popularity to the city, but is home to only about 138,000 people. Emily laughs at the influx of people moving here from California. In her 15 years of Waco, she’s seen Baylor’s freshman class size go from about 1500 students to 3300. You can tell that she’s proud of this town. She loves it here. I realize that this city’s rebirth doesn’t just rest on the outside developers or on the shoulders of a reality TV couple, rather on the reliance of its inhabitants to stay and show up. They rally behind a vision, whether it’s a new restaurant or their beloved basketball team.
Saturday
Two hours before tip-off and the Ferrell Center is a buzz. The majority of fans are donning green and gold while there are flecks of KU blue dispersed sporadically. The likes of RGIII and Chip & Joanna are in the building. Waco has arrived in support to see, a previously injured, MaCio Teague return after missing two games, and to root for another win over KU.
I take my seat on the floor in front of the student section. They don’t sit all game. After the first 4 minutes of the game, Baylor relinquishes its lead and never regains it. Udoka Azubuike emotes more than anyone else in this game, good or bad; regardless, his dunks are hitting hard. Teague and Jared Butler hit consecutive 3-pointers in the final 30 seconds to closing in on KU’s lead, 62-61. Ultimately, the Jayhawks win, 64-61, ending the Bears’ 23-game winning streak. It’s bittersweet. While I had no dog in the fight, I had broken bread with Baylor and have been a guest in their sweet hometown, so it feels like I’m witnessing incredible heartbreak. Alas, the fans sheepishly exit, and ESPN hurriedly takes down their cameras and signage, because Coach Kim Mulkey and the Lady Bears got next.