Symptoms of Incurable ZAGNUTTIA

Just like "The Itch," which has afflicted me like clockwork, during the past three years from the last week in April until the last week in June, I can feel another annual disease starting to manifest its symptoms.

"ZAGNUTTIA" exhibits some rather noticeable symptoms.  Sufferers do act a little crazy. Obsessive, abnormal behavior can occur:  two trips to Spokane in one week (300-plus miles) just to pick up posters AND refrigerator magnets for friends and family. 

Antisocial behavior aimed at any activities other than ZAG games can cause conflictive behavior:  No, we can't go to the company year-end party cuz that's the same night as a ZAGS game! 

Minutes later:  Oh, so the company party IS the next night; guess we can go to the company party, which has surely been planned by its coordinator so as not to miss any COUGS games. 

FYI:  the company party still remains in jeopardy cuz it's the same night as DANCING WITH OUR STARS, and we proud parents are sure hoping our Willie will be participating that night.  Have you voted?  Another ballot in this morning's  DAily Bee.  Or, you can go to the POAC website:  www.artinsandpoint.org/

Back to ZAGNUTTIA:  Unlike Ebola, it IS an airborne disease, so you can contract it via idle contact with anyone who's ever loved the ZAGS.  They don't even have to breathe on you!

I've even heard of it being transferred through the Internet, so if you have a severe aversion to ZAGNUTTIA, wash your hands when you're done reading this. 

So far, those afflicted are never quarantined for 21 days or issued gag orders to please quit talking about the ZAGs.  Quite the contrary, these people WANT others to catch the disease.

Environmentally speaking, the wallpaper in ZAGNUTTIAN homes consists of a hodgepodge of ZAG posters from several years of this affliction.  

Oh yeah, that's another symptom:  ZAGNUTTIANS won't shut up about their team, and they're particularly talkative during this time of year. 

That ZAGNUTTIAN vociferous tendency reaches a crescendo several times from October to hopefully April.  

First stage:  the new players----who we gonna fall in love with this year?

How long will it take us to pronounce that player from Lithuania's name?  After all, it took about half a season to be able to spit out KAR NOW SKI, and some of us still can't say his first name. 

Speaking of the Lithuanian, Sports Illustrated has a fascinating and very compelling article, paralleling the quest of two coaches during two different generations, trying to lure a player to their respective teams-----one coach from Lousiana State University, the other, from Gonzaga.  

Those two players are a father-son combo.  Happily, the Gonzaga coach was successful convincing the son, Domantis Sabonis,  to join the ZAGS for this season.   

To any ZAGNUTTIAN who has not read it or for anyone who simply enjoys a story of International intrigue, I guarantee that the article is well worth the time spent reading:  

http://www.si.com/longform/sabonis/

The Second Stage of talking seemingly nonstop about the ZAGS comes throughout the season with each win and with each succeeding notch, bringing the ZAGS closer to participating in the NCAA dance. So, get used to it.

Here's a not-so-good tendency:  if ZAGS lose one of those late-night games, stay far away from ZAGNUTTIANS the next day cuz they went to bed depressed and suffered from insomnia. They're most likely in a bad mood the morning after a loss.   

Another symptom of ZAGNUTTIA involves the tendency to want as many others to suffer from the infectious disease as possible, even if they're from Switzerland and don't care a rip about basketball.

I'm thinking Swiss Miss may contract ZAGNUTTIA if she's around our family for very long. After all, first lesson learned within a mile or two of the Spokane Airport when she landed here in August:  GO ZAGS!

And, she has not forgotten.  Plus, this ZAGNUTTIAN is feeling pretty proud of Swiss Miss who donned her ZAGS baseball cap and her ZAGS T-shirt just to go to dinner with the family at Connie's the other night.  

I think she has taken on a few symptoms already, and by Saturday night when the ZAGS hit the court at MacArthy Athletic Complex for their exhibition game, I have confidence that the Swiss Miss case of ZAGNUTTIA will be deemed incurable. 

It IS a chronic disease, and I like dealing with it much more than I do THE ITCH.  In fact, I hope that this year's epidemic turns into a ZAGNUTTIA pandemic cuz they say the team, with its new recruits, is better than ever.  

Let the germs fly!  ZAGNUTTIA will soon be upon us. 

UNITED WE ZAG! Pass it on!