http://www.gomarquette.com/blog/2012/01/menasha-st-mary-central-to-retire-robert-frozenas-jersey.html
Full story at the appleton post crescent: http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20120117/APC02/120117019/Zephyrs-honor-Robert-Frozena-Thursday?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cp
One can joke that he was a token white trillionaire. But he busted his ass for the team. He was a Big East All Academic and a fan favorite. I guarantee Fans chanted "Rob Fro-zena" more than any other player's name. Once you heard those chants, you knew the game was over.
Good for him.
Human victory cigar! ;D
I don't know what he is doing these days in terms of career/grad school, etc., but I see him
at the games all the time. He still gets treated like a star by the fans.
Quote from: warriorchick on January 17, 2012, 04:21:23 PM
He still gets treated like a star by the fans.
According to the MU Tribune we should not do that.
Quote from: muwarrior69 on January 17, 2012, 05:53:12 PM
According to the MU Tribune we should not do that.
I know these were joking but just curious, do the walk ons get the special treatment too. Mostly wondering about housing. Are they in Humphrey or left to fend for themselves?
Quote from: Skitch on January 17, 2012, 06:08:42 PM
I know these were joking but just curious, do the walk ons get the special treatment too. Mostly wondering about housing. Are they in Humphrey or left to fend for themselves?
I think it depends when they became a walk-on. Freshman year Rob Hanley lived in McCormick on the same wing as some of my friends. I'm sure Frozena lived in the dorms his freshman year as well. However, if they walk on for multiple seasons I would guess they move into Humphrey.
Quote from: Ari Gold on January 17, 2012, 04:04:30 PM
http://www.gomarquette.com/blog/2012/01/menasha-st-mary-central-to-retire-robert-frozenas-jersey.html
Full story at the appleton post crescent: http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20120117/APC02/120117019/Zephyrs-honor-Robert-Frozena-Thursday?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cp
One can joke that he was a token white trillionaire. But he busted his ass for the team. He was a Big East All Academic and a fan favorite. I guarantee Fans chanted "Rob Fro-zena" more than any other player's name. Once you heard those chants, you knew the game was over.
Good for him.
Can someone who was in school during his time, or more in the know then I, explain why it is that Frozena was granted "god" status moreso than other walk-ons (or even scholarship players)?
Quote from: The Golden Avalanche on January 17, 2012, 08:50:57 PM
Can someone who was in school during his time, or more in the know then I, explain why it is that Frozena was granted "god" status moreso than other walk-ons (or even scholarship players)?
white kid, 4 year walk on who was originally added because a Trevor Mbawke injury. Human Victory Cigar. that earned him the god like status
I would have treated Craig Kuphall the same way had he played more than 1 year.
Quote from: Ari Gold on January 17, 2012, 11:36:05 PM
white kid, 4 year walk on who was originally added because a Trevor Mbawke injury. Human Victory Cigar. that earned him the god like status
I would have treated Craig Kuphall the same way had he played more than 1 year.
Yeah, he was there so long and was the only traditional walk-on. Or PG from last year and Jake Thomas couldn't play so we really didn't have walk-ons lately (and they were scholarship type players)
Keep in mind that Frozena was an all conference first team high school player.
Quote from: msbjim on January 18, 2012, 08:43:47 AM
Keep in mind that Frozena was an all conference first team high school player.
All DI walk ons are very good basketball players and I'm sure most probably were all conference first team high school players.
I bet a good percentage of DIII ball players were also all conference first team blah blah blahs too...
Quote from: Ari Gold on January 17, 2012, 11:36:05 PM
white kid, 4 year walk on who was originally added because a Trevor Mbawke injury. Human Victory Cigar. that earned him the god like status
I would have treated Craig Kuphall the same way had he played more than 1 year.
We've had those aspects before and it never reached a fever pitch other then the typical cheers for a walk-on.
I still don't get why Frozena elicited more of an uproar than our scholarship players.
Quote from: The Golden Avalanche on January 18, 2012, 09:29:24 AM
We've had those aspects before and it never reached a fever pitch other then the typical cheers for a walk-on.
I still don't get why Frozena elicited more of an uproar than our scholarship players.
Underdog. Longevity. Familiarity.
You know the kid busts his ass everyday for 4 years. People respect that.
It would be the same for any 4 year walk on. Tough gig. I know I couldn't do it.
I think the fact that Frozena was demonstratively a great teammate and you could tell that he was loevd by his teammates. Remember his junior year when he hit that layup and Lazar absolutely freaked out on the bench? Fans take notice of that (Sportscenter did) and share the enthusiasm.
Quote from: JWags85 on January 18, 2012, 09:47:23 AM
I think the fact that Frozena was demonstratively a great teammate and you could tell that he was loevd by his teammates. Remember his junior year when he hit that layup and Lazar absolutely freaked out on the bench? Fans take notice of that (Sportscenter did) and share the enthusiasm.
You're 100% dead on. Obvious to anyone who ever went to a game.
Quote from: JWags85 on January 18, 2012, 09:47:23 AM
I think the fact that Frozena was demonstratively a great teammate and you could tell that he was loevd by his teammates. Remember his junior year when he hit that layup and Lazar absolutely freaked out on the bench? Fans take notice of that (Sportscenter did) and share the enthusiasm.
Good for Rob. Four years as a walk-on is pretty impressive. You have to LOVE basketball to do that.
With all that Lazar accomplished on the court, his reaction to Frozena's lay-up was hands-down my favorite Lazar moment at MU. He was so genuinely excited, it was incredible.
Quote from: MerrittsMustache on January 18, 2012, 10:24:02 AM
Good for Rob. Four years as a walk-on is pretty impressive. You have to LOVE basketball to do that.
With all that Lazar accomplished on the court, his reaction to Frozena's lay-up was hands-down my favorite Lazar moment at MU. He was so genuinely excited, it was incredible.
+1. I loved watching the bench while Rob was in the game. They were genuinely thrilled for him, and I think the crowd fed off of that as well.
Because he was there for more than one year and wasn't known as a total D-Bag like some other walk-ons who thought they were D1 players.
Quote from: DienerTime34 on January 18, 2012, 12:44:03 PM
Because he was there for more than one year and wasn't known as a total D-Bag like some other walk-ons who thought they were D1 players.
This is why I asked kids who were in school with him. I interacted with the walk-ons during my time and they were decent guys. Just never to the level where I'd absolutely lose my crap as a fan the moment they knelt at the scorer's table.
In the end, if it took him to elicit enthusiasm from the crowd then I can't complain because the majority of crowds the last couple of seasons have sucked. Hard. So any cheer is good cheer.
I still think Smo was a better walk-on. Couldn't beat the way he sat on a bench with his elbows on his knees....crowd yelling, "SMO"!
Quote from: The Golden Avalanche on January 18, 2012, 03:43:17 PM
This is why I asked kids who were in school with him. I interacted with the walk-ons during my time and they were decent guys. Just never to the level where I'd absolutely lose my crap as a fan the moment they knelt at the scorer's table.
In the end, if it took him to elicit enthusiasm from the crowd then I can't complain because the majority of crowds the last couple of seasons have sucked. Hard. So any cheer is good cheer.
Had a group project with him. He was the kid in the group you would get pissed at the beginning because he was so centered on the project and knew exactly what had to be done and told you what you had to do. That's the same guy you thanked the gods was in your group otherwise everyone else would've slacked.
Very hardworking and overall nice guy.
Quote from: Lighthouse 84 on January 18, 2012, 07:16:47 PM
I still think Smo was a better walk-on. Couldn't beat the way he sat on a bench with his elbows on his knees....crowd yelling, "SMO"!
wasn't Smo a scholly player?
Quote from: ringout on January 19, 2012, 10:53:54 AM
wasn't Smo a scholly player?
you may be right. It just seemed like he was a walk on.
Quote from: Lighthouse 84 on January 19, 2012, 11:11:17 AM
you may be right. It just seemed like he was a walk on.
Smo and Fro...the pride of Menasha.
Smo might as well have been a walkon. We all went crazy when he got in, and he was here for the schooling. Pretty smart guy, Engineer I think.
Whenever I think about walk-ons, I flash back to this Chip Rowe article.
"Being the last man on the league's worst team wasn't easy"
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1067149/index.htm
Also something that was big was the fact that he was the only walkon during his time, Dave Singleton doesnt count. I know in other years there were more then one so the fact the the job was Rob's and only Rob's helped out with the appreciation from the fans
Quote from: ringout on January 19, 2012, 10:53:54 AM
wasn't Smo a scholly player?
Yes, and as I recall, fairly highly rated as well.