Thank you from the Gordons

[Lobosapien]

Drew is absolutely amazing.. its an honor to watch him play in cherry and silver.

[BYF]

Wow, I don't know how but I almost missed this thread. Glad I saw Mark's tweet. Great stuff. BUMP

[FoKuZ]

Thank you LOBO fans for your incredible, exuberant, and dedicated support of the program. It is one-of-a-kind and is a huge advantage at every game. Watching from San Jose, I could not have been more proud of how you filled that arena to the brim and screamed your heads off. Ed was there and Drew’s grandparents were there too. Ed can only croak out a few words today and both my parents are still bubbling over with excitement. What a way to end the regular season.
No matter how much further this team goes into the tournament (and I predict a GREAT run), it’s an appropriate time to tell you all how much we love being part of UNM basketball. It has been just what Drew needed in every way. The coaches have high and unwavering expectations and standards. The program is top-notch from nutrition, training and academics to coaching and community service. The coaches know and understand each player, not just as racehorses on the track but as individuals. Teenage boys are about as incomplete in their development as humans can get and the coaching staff knows how to “grow them up”. It shows, doesn’t it? And Alford has just enough edgy competitiveness to understand where it comes from in our son.
Coaches have “walked the walk” with our family. We have no idea where Aaron will end up yet, but if it’s New Mexico, we will support him 110% and know that he is in good hands. He absolutely loved senior day.
Mark, thank you for everything. Lobo fans, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support of the program, of Drew and the whole team. You all deserve a share of every trophy.

Shelly and family

We couldnt of been more proud of Drew... We adore the Gordons, and look forward to the Aaron Gordon watch...
We hope wish n pray he chooses UNM. We will take just as good car of him as we did Drew..

Many wishes, luck and praise to your family.

[Roob]

Not much to add to all the great things already posted. My first exposure to Drew was when he was running the sand hills with his teammates outside of Albuquerque during the voluntary summer workouts. Drew was gathering people around him and at one point he even held hands with one of his teammates as they struggled to get up the hill. He was teased about it by one of the coaches and I will always remember his reponse. He said "It's okay coach, we're family here".

From the very start of his stay in Albuquerque, Drew has been the guy at the forefront of promoting strong bonds with his teammates. He didn't simply buy into the family concept, but in fact he was one of the guys that helped to develop that environment here. You have much to be proud of.

[Digital Lobo]

Not much to add to all the great things already posted. My first exposure to Drew was when he was running the sand hills with his teammates outside of Albuquerque during the voluntary summer workouts. Drew was gathering people around him and at one point he even held hands with one of his teammates as they struggled to get up the hill. He was teased about it by one of the coaches and I will always remember his reponse. He said "It's okay coach, we're family here".

From the very start of his stay in Albuquerque, Drew has been the guy at the forefront of promoting strong bonds with his teammates. He didn't simply buy into the family concept, but in fact he was one of the guys that helped to develop that environment here. You have much to be proud of.

That's a great anecdote Roob and one that I think that demonstrates the type of character that Drew has and no doubt was raised to have.

Sent from my iPhone

[loboray]

Thank you Mrs. Gordon for joining the Lair and giving us such insightful posts during Drew's years here. It is great for the fan base to know that we are making a difference. Your posts are some of the best I have ever read here. The Gordon family will always be members of the Lobo family and I hope you will continue to favor us occasionally with one of your posts. Thank you so much.

[JulieG]

Outstanding post from a parent, I am glad that parents see what Alford and Neale do to provide the complete package to their charges. It also show class in a family who chooses to send their son to a school where he can get the kind of support he needs to be a great athlete and complete his education. Thanks!

[BoRealist]

Does anyone need a reminder on why Mark and Mods run this board the way they do? For as frustrated and upset as we get as fans of our beloved Lobos in defeat it's important to remember that we're dealing with "real" youngmen and their families. It's not easy and I'm just as guilty as the next in line. Personal attacks on character or over aggressive critiques on a player should find no quarter on this board. Reading that post should remind you how much more important it is for us to love and support our Lobos than it is to have the most critical eye and be able to spot every flaw. These youngmen and their families are counting on us to provide the emotional support and pride that will carry them through trying years of ups and downs in college athletics. Pick them up when they are down. Raise them up when they are successful. Celebrate in triumph when they are victorious! It's your team so show your players the love they deserve for their hard work.

Thank you Shelly Gordon and the Gordon family for trusting us with your son. He's a winner and we're proud to have him in the Lobo family.

[Burro lobo]

I have to add a thank you Mrs. Gordon and the entire Gordon family! The excitement that was generated when you and Drew visited and later decided to join the Lobos is still riding high with us. That your trusted the coaches and even us fans to enjoy your son for two years makes us all proud! We want you to remember that you are always in all Lobo fans hearts and yes we would love to have Aaron too as a Lobo, but no matter the decision we understand that you have to do whats best for him and as a Lobo family we will back you all the way. I'm sure you all know how the Lobo Nation took the media slight by not naming Drew the POY, we may not be able to change that slight, but it will never change our minds about who the true POY of the MWC is in March 2012, it is and always should be Drew Gordon!!!
Thank you for your kind letter and the class you yourself have shown to the Lobo family, it is great to have you as a Lobo!

!!THANKS GORDONS FOR SHARING DREW WITH US!!

And yes we still want Aaron too!

[2009lobo]

CLASS ACT!!!

[LoboJ1]

Absolutely right....

Does anyone need a reminder on why Mark and Mods run this board the way they do? For as frustrated and upset as we get as fans of our beloved Lobos in defeat it's important to remember that we're dealing with "real" youngmen and their families. It's not easy and I'm just as guilty as the next in line. Personal attacks on character or over aggressive critiques on a player should find no quarter on this board. Reading that post should remind you how much more important it is for us to love and support our Lobos than it is to have the most critical eye and be able to spot every flaw. These youngmen and their families are counting on us to provide the emotional support and pride that will carry them through trying years of ups and downs in college athletics. Pick them up when they are down. Raise them up when they are successful. Celebrate in triumph when they are victorious! It's your team so show your players the love they deserve for their hard work.

Thank you Shelly Gordon and the Gordon family for trusting us with your son. He's a winner and we're proud to have him in the Lobo family.

[1lobofan]

Thank you very much for your kind words. We should be thanking you and your entire family. Drew has been a complete gentleman and of course a tremendous player! Thank you so much...

[crisco]

Mrs. Gordon, I ran into Ed. I asked him how he got his special #32 shirt. He said a dad's gotta have some privileges. We chatted about being teachers and I tried to buy him pizza. Instead he bought my buddy and I our pizzas at the Thomas and Mack on Friday. This is why I love college hoops and New Mexico Lobos. Its a big family. I wish Drew all the best in his future endeavors! In the meantime, Go Lobos!

[trufan]

What a class act! Thank you. For all of us who have our own families to raise I can't tell you how much I respect your insight and obvious love for your sons. After all, at the end of the day, it is "family" that matters. I am just proud Drew is a part of our family too!

[Garishwolf]

WE are N.M. Because of great folks like you n Drew.............GOD Bless, A REAL breath of fresh air. WE're because of Drew and you all.

[ArkansasLobo]

That apple fell right to the bottom of that tree!!!!!

[Mark]

LOL at lonewolf post. I think the old record was 175 "thanks" for a post and that was my interview with Alford last year.
This doubled me up and I couldnt be happier. What an awesome post!

[catherine]

Mrs. Gordon -- I read your post on the drive home from Vegas on Sunday. It brought tears to my eyes, and I composed all sorts of replies in my head during the rest of the drive. Now that I'm sitting down to write something, I read through the rest of the posts and realize that my fellow lairers (is that a word?) have said just about everything I had thought to say.

I'm left with a just few comments (but as everyone here knows, I can make a few comments go on for a while ...).

First, thank you for your post and for entrusting your son to Coach Alford and the rest of the staff. I don't know him personally, but have loved watching him "grow up" on the court here. Second, I have a 10 year old son. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for a family to make a decision about a school for a bright and talented athlete. Sorting through the false impressions and the outright lies to understand what would be best for your son had to be incredibly difficult. I called my mom and read your post to her. She's a HUGE basketball fan and likes hearing about the Lobos; I thought your note summed up so well the kind of program Coach Alford and his staff are building here. The character of the program is writ large in the character of the young men that make it up -- young men like Drew and his team mates.

Thanks for sharing your perspective on the board here as well. I know there are times that we, as passionate fans, get a little too caught up in the wins, losses and rivalries and lose sight of what's truly important. Reading a post like yours brings me back home to that.

Drew has been a true leader and an exceptional player to watch. He will always be a Lobo. Regardless of Aaron's decision, you and your family will always be Lobos in our hearts as well. Of course, my son and I (along with the rest of the Lobo faithful) would love to see Aaron in the cherry & silver ...

Thank you again.

Catherine

[Bullchuter]

Thank you Ed and Shelly..you truly are a super addition to our Lobo Nation. If they gave an MVP for families, I feel you would win it hands down. We all realize that youngsters love to chart their own course and as it will be with your son, Aaron. We trust that he would seriously consider New Mexico as a place to allow him to develop as well as Drew did. I can recall the anticipation that we had prior to Drev ever playing his first game here....and we were not disappointed one bit. We now have the same anticipation for Aaron that he should become a Lobo and follow in his older brother's footsteps. That would be awesome. Again, my hat goes off to you and thank you sincerely for the kind words you expressed. GOLOBOS!!

[ellobogrande]

Dear Gordon Family,
As a fan I deeply appreciate your letter, knowing our program is in the state that it is is heart warming to this Lobo fan. Your son has really worked his way into the hearts of all of the Lobo fans. I have been a Lobo fan since the PIT opened in 1967. I remember watching Mel Daniels that first year.
Your son is right up there with Kenny Thomas, Royce Olney, Michael Cooper great players with great character. We are all so proud to have your son as part of the Lobo family.

Everyones a Lobo

[Lobolouie1]

I want to thank the Gordon family for being part of the Lobo family. As I read through all the responses to your heartfelt letter, I am moved by a common theme each Lobo fan has shared. We are so proud to have had the privilege of watching drew excelling in the classroom, in the community and on the basketball court. He has been a wonderful ambassador for Lobo Basketball. This can only be a reflection on the kind of family Drew was raised. Drew and his team mates have been great role models for our community. Your letter brings me great joy in knowing that Coach Alford and his staff are doing a great job developing young men for the challenges they will face in life.
I remember my Dad took our family to its first Lobo Basketball game in 1968. The PIT was less than a year old and Albuquerque was a less than a quarter of the size it is today, but the PIT was always the place to be as it is today. God has blessed the Lobos over the years with great fan support. One of the UNLV players tweeted after their loss to the Lobos that they thought they were playing in New Mexico during the Mountain West Tournament. Thanks again for your kind words, and may God bless the Drew family!

[muyguapo]

Your son, in two short years, became one of my favorite Lobos of all time. His work ethic and dedication to self-improvement didn't just happen, he learned it from his parents. :) You guys have done a great job with that young man, and I can envision a lot of future success for him. Thank you all for taking a chance on UNM. That chance became the stuff of legends.

[wolf1960]

Well I had to read the Gordon post and all the Lair posts again, BEST EVER...wolf1960 a Lobo fan who saw my 1st game in Carlisle Gym

[Oregon Lobo]

Ditto to what most everyone said. However, I just want to add one twist. My wife and I are native New Mexicans but we moved to Oregon almost a decade ago with my job. Our two children know very little of New Mexico--except for the yearly visits to family. The one thing that has really kept them connected with our beloved home is watching Lobos games on TV. They have become faithful Lobo fans--and were absolutely ecstatic when UNM came to play in the NCAA tourney here. We went to both games and cheered our hearts out. Needless to say, my boys are big fans of your son and are already discussing where he will land in the NBA--both, along with myself, are hoping he'll be a Trail Blazer. Drew has had a great impact on our kids and we're all eager to see him succeed at the next level. Good luck to Drew and to Aaron and thanks for allowing us to enjoy your son's talents!

[datildame]

I am a native Oregonian. Moved to NM a long time, but still love Oregon too

[aer]

Thank you Gordon family for who you all are. When Drew became a Lobo we were very excited to see him play and how time has flown that Drew's playing time as a Lobo has been a flash for us fans. While we Lobo fans would like to see Aaron as a Lobo I want to wish Aaron the best with what ever decision he makes. God Bless you all.