Although K-State lost to Iowa State on Saturday, there were a lot of positive things that happened over the course of this past weekend. For one, I got to meet two great people from South Carolina that I became instant friends with, Monty and Rachel Putnam. Following Monty on social media as he experienced Manhattan, KS over the weekend was like watching a real-life version of The Truman Show. From visiting the Insect Zoo, to the Manhattan Hill, to Aggieville, to his day tailgating before the game and attending the game, I got a kick out of seeing Monty and his wife Rachel experience Manhattan.

To be honest, they didn’t really seek or want all of the attention. They were offered free tickets to the game and decided to make the trip from South Carolina to experience a K-State football game for the first time. Everything kind of exploded from there. Monty had such a great time that he asked if I would post a message from him to K-State fans. Of course, I obliged.

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“Thank you K-State.

When I was a child, my family would take a yearly summer vacation to the South Carolina coast. It was my absolute favorite place in the world to be. As we would get closer, my hyperactivity and ADD/ADHD would kick into overdrive. When we finally made it to one of the roads that ran perpendicular to the Atlantic Ocean, I would come up out of the back seat, and try and poke my way into the front seat, as if conquering that 3-foot difference would somehow get me to the beach faster.

But those vacations don’t last forever. And when it was time to leave, I would wind up nearly pressed against the rear window of our car, with tears in my eyes, trying to see the ocean for as long as possible, before it was finally no longer visible. I would then be filled with a gut-wrenching sadness for the rest of the day.

Today, as I crossed the South Carolina state line, I felt that same sadness. Not because I was sad to be back in SC, but sad because I knew that was the absolute ending of my trip to Manhattan. I knew at that point, the trip was officially over, and now the past weekend becomes a memory.

I’m not sure what I expected from my trip to Manhattan. I know I expected to meet some new people, and see some new sights, and eat at some cool, different restaurants, and watch 2 teams play football that I had never seen play before.

What I didn’t expect was to fall in love. To fall in love with a town, to fall in love with a stadium, to fall in love with a school, to fall in love with raspberry bean dip, to fall in love with so many different, wonderful, amazing, kind, generous, genuine, unbelievable people. I didn’t expect to feel homesick leaving a place I’d only spent 2 full days in.

I didn’t expect to be transported back in time, to (in my mind) an almost “Norman Rockwell” version of America. I didn’t expect a bunch of absolute strangers to renew my faith in there still being “good people.” I didn’t expect to see a group of well-behaved sports fans more intent on having a good time, than being concerned with destroying an opponent or their fan base.

I certainly didn’t expect to be asking myself if my loyalties are more to the South Carolina Gamecocks, or, have they been replaced by the Wildcats?

I want to thank you all. Every single one of you that I encountered was an amazing person. I want to thank you for letting a stranger come in to your house and be a part of your family.

As I’ve said before, I’ve been to numerous SEC & ACC venues, as well as Bowl Games. I can’t even remember them all, but we’re talking about places like UGA, UNC, NC State, Auburn, Tennessee, Klempsun (see what I did there?), East Carolina, Vanderbilt, Bowl Games against Ohio State, and a smattering of others.

The environment I was a part of this past Saturday night absolutely blows them all away. My experience at BSFS is now at the top of the list of my game day experiences.

I hope you will allow me to come be with you all again. I will come back to Manhattan every year I am physically able to do so if you will have me. But until that time comes, please know I will be watching every game day, in all sports, anything I can possibly do to support K State, I will.

In closing, I just want to say thank you again, to all of you. Thank you for making this one of the most fun, unbelievably amazing weekends of my entire 46 years here. I love you all, I love your school, I love your colors, I love your teams, and I love your town.

Let the countdown begin. I’ll be marking off the days until it is once again time for me to head north and west. And I will be replaying this weekend in my mind.

Your friend, and fellow K State Wildcat fan for life,

Monty Putnam

October 18, 2021“