The Human Victory Cigar deserves more than an emotional pre-game ceremony and maybe a couple of minutes during garbage time in Saturday's game against Arizona. Brendan Sherrer deserves a starting spot on Senior Day.
These past three seasons, Sherrer has made the bulk of his contributions to this Washington Huskies basketball team from behind closed doors during practice. Now it's time for the team to show its appreciation for Sherrer and give him a starting spot.
His sacrifice, service and commitment to this basketball team should be rewarded with playing time in the opening minutes of his Senior Night. Yes, I know Washington is in the middle of a crucial Pac-12 conference race, and yes, I know this Arizona game is of the utmost importance in winning the title — but can't we just give Sherrer the spotlight, just this one time? For the limited minutes he is in until the first dead-ball, he will not hurt this Husky team's performance.
Not only would this make Sherrer happy, but the members of the Dawg Pack will go absolutely crazy. Let us make this the climax to Sherrer's career at Washington.
For someone that has been in the background of most of the Husky's successes these past three seasons, it's time to let him play some meaningful minutes. He's entitled to them. He's never asked for anything. The only thing he has done is give his time, effort and energy towards helping this team win.
"It's been a life changer. ... I have so many different experiences in my life now just from basketball and being on this team that I never would have imagined," Sherrer told Percy Allen in a Seattle Times interview in 2011.
For someone that has averaged 0.4 points per game in three seasons, he sounds like a grateful person. Sherrer has to be the happiest basketball player averaging under 1 point a game in the entire country.
He's not a scholarship player. He's not as athletic as his teammates. And he's only played 63 minutes in his three seasons at Washington. Despite his limited playing time in games, Sherrer has put in hours and hours and hours of practice. Ask any Husky coach or player these past three seasons on who was the most improved player from year-to-year and Sherrer would easily be the answer.
In 2008 he was in the stands as a member of the Dawg Pack, one year later, after a successful walk-on tryout, he was in uniform donning the No. 42.
"There's actually pictures where we had our chest painted, the Dawg Pack. There's actually a pretty cool picture with me standing in the background like (Jon) Brockman dunking," Sherrer told Percy Allen in a Seattle Times Interview in 2009.
I'm glad Romar has given nothing but praise for Sherrer in the past, but I wonder if he has the guts or the heart to show his ultimate appreciation for Sherrer by giving him the start.
Soon, Sherrer's college career will be over. There won't be any more NCAA Tournaments to go to, no more chances to play with future NBA players, and no more celebratory standing ovations from the Dawg Pack. This will all be gone, and his story, like most college athletes, will become a distant memory of the past. Let's make this distant memory a distinct memory for Sherrer.
I'm not asking much. Just a few minutes. Sherrer has never asked for extra playing time. He has been more than grateful for the position he's been in and he's done everything these coaches have asked him to do. If he's not asking, I'm asking for him.
Coach Romar, please start Brendan Sherrer this Saturday.