SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — The Zag Nation reaches far and wide with GU fans everywhere, and while the students are often the loudest and most committed, a Spokane Valley group could rival the well-known Kennel Club.
'Grandmas for Gregg' is a dedicated group to the Zags ,but specifically, to one player.
The group might not jump up and down as fast as the young Zag fans, but they are steadfast in their support of the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
“We just let it all hang out. We come and cheer our loudest and cry when they lose,” one of the group fans said.
The group of women in their 70s to 99 and a half are united in their support of the team, but are specific in their devotion to one player.
“We saw him and he was so tall and so handsome and so clean cut,” one of the group fans said.
He is number 33, Ben Gregg. A 6'10" tall sophomore from Clackamas Oregon, who now has his own fan club.
The club has its own designed shirts that say it all: 'Now I’m a Grandma for Gregg.' No formal initiation or secret ceremony to be part of the team, you just have to live at Evergreen Fountains, be a Zag fan, and cheer for number 33.
There are no formal positions in this group, but if there was a ringleader, it would be 93 -year-old Marilyn.
She has her ‘bible’ of GU facts showcasing her favorite player.
"I said, 'now there’s a boy I’d like to be my grandson. I’ll adopt him.' So, I started getting teased every time he was on the floor. They would say 'Marilyn, Marilyn, there’s Gregg,'” Marilyn said.
And that’s how Grandma’s for Gregg came to be.
Marilyn's son designed the logo and now the group, with a membership of a couple of dozen women, is at the forefront of the fan frenzy that surrounds Gonzaga.
“It’s just a group of fun-loving caring women who care about each other and care about the team and just want to be together. It’s so much more fun to watch with someone else than to sit in your room by yourself," one of the group fans said.
Snacks and drinks are a must!
“Everybody brings a liberation something from milk to martinis,” one of the group fans said.
And whatever the cocktail of choice, they all drink in celebration of the season.
“I would just say this is the best month of the year," one of the group fans said.
Whether you are a student at GU or a grandma with a purpose, it’s a chance to celebrate and be a team behind the team.
Related story: 'Little Ben Gregg': Gonzaga's Spark Plug
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