In case you didn’t know, the intramural basketball scene here at Bryant is pretty intense. Teams have coaches, organizations and even devoted fans who show up to the games. This year, the Bird Gang organization went undefeated in both A and B league and took the championships!
HC: How was Bird Gang founded?
BG: Bird Gang originally started with a bunch of students from the Class of 2017 in the winter of 2014.
HC: How long have you guys been playing together?
BG: We have all been playing together since we were freshman.
HC: We noticed a lot of the team members are athletes, is that how you all met?
BG: Most of us met through the football team here, but we aren’t all just D1 athletes. We also have RA’s on our teams and other students from many different backgrounds.
HC: When did you decide you wanted a B league team as well?
BG: During the first two years we had one team with way too many players. Because it’s intramurals we wanted everyone to play and have fun. Granted, we wanted to win, but we thought that the people who weren’t playing as much on the A league team would get more playing time in the B league.
HC: Have you ever lost a game?
BG: The last time we lost a game was March 7th, 2014, haven’t lost since then!!
HC: Are there any rituals you guys have before, during or after the game?
BG: Just a common saying for us, “We fly high, we fly together.
HC: If you had to give superlatives out for the season to the A and B league teams, who would get them?
BG: Best Dressed and Most Likely to Succeed would be Aaron Gilmer or Brandon Owens. Aaron is the two time coach of the year and Brandon is the owner of the team. Most Team Spirit would go to Rahhim Shillingford, Michael “Big Red” Rosenthal, Colin McNeil, Richie DeLuca and Spencer Cooke; they all played well and knew their roles on the team. Our Comeback Players of the Year would be Aaron Gilmer, who played in the B league and coached in the A league and Kieran Elmore. Most Likely to Foul Out would without a doubt be Kevin Lazo, but he came in first on the team as a rebounder, LOL. The Most Likely to Yell at the Refs is another key player and um, well let’s just say we do not want to put his name in the article, he’s nobody special and doesn’t want any credit. He just wants his team to know he loves them and will do anything for them. The MVP’s for the B league would be Keenan Thompson and Andrew Barton. For the A league it would be Patrick Kenney and Chucky “2 Time MVP” Wingate.
HC: What is the best thing about playing together as a team?
BG: The best thing about playing together is that when most people see us in the gym they wonder why we take it so seriously, which we do because it’s fun and we love winning. Nobody is above the team, nobody is above the organization. Everyone is equal. Going to a business school it’s all about teams and how well you work in a team. We all get along well and care about each other on and off the court, it’s truly a big deal for us.
HC: Are you planning on continuing the Bird Gang legacy next year?
BG: Is water wet?!
If you missed the championship game check out the link below for some highlights and follow @Bryant_Rec on Twitter for all the intramural updates!