This...this is epic
Bobcats Planet name: Keetch
Real name (first only): Steve
Age: 54
Current City: Winston-Salem
Hometown: Toms River, NJ
Occupation: Engineer
1) How did you choose your screen name?
About 6 years ago I was testing out an online multi-player game and heard some silly person call out some other players as “quiche-eaters” in the chat thing. So the next time I was messing around, I created a character and named it, of course “Quicheater.” Well anyway; here I am still messing around when I stumble across an online game I really like. I need a more serious name now…so I’m thinking Quicheater…Quiche…Keetch! I played that game for 4 years and the name stuck. I have friends around the world who only know me by that; which is a little weird.
2) Could you tell us a little about where you grew up and about your family?
Good grief, you really, really don’t want to know. Good therapists charge a lot of money for that information. My family was messed up; but beyond that hey, I lived on the Jersey Shore with a 30-some-foot cabin/fishing boat roped to our backyard dock. In retrospect, it was pretty sweet, I can’t lie. As the sun came up, when the intercoastal was smooth as glass; we’d jump on and cut right through it. We’ve still got that house.
3) Did you play in any sports or were you involved with any High School clubs and such?
I badly wanted to play HS baseball and basketball, but it didn’t work. For basketball I couldn’t try out my freshman year because my parents refused. I like, forgot to take out the trash or something. My soph year I broke my arm playing soccer the day before tryouts. By my junior year I knew I wasn’t good enough anyway. I did make JV baseball as a pitcher but knew I was toast, when standing on the mound I heard one of the assistants ask the coach, “When is he going to throw his fastball?” In games my hope was always that they wouldn’t hit it so far that my outfielders couldn’t reach it. Yeah, you could say I had high aspirations.
4) What is your fondest memory of your teenage years?
My senior year in high school was the bomb. I was in theatre and had a blast. Girlfriends!! Partying! Living at the freaking beach. Puking in the street at Seaside Heights. Oh yeah. I got great grades too, except that I forgot to apply to college, whoops (my parents gave me zero academic guidance beyond "get your ass on the bus"). So I go see my high school guidance counselor in August AFTER graduation to see if he can set me up. He offers to get me into our local Juco immediately, which is actually a really nice Juco; but I’m like, uh no. I tell him I want to be an architect. He says well, we had a student enroll at Kansas two years ago….the rest is history. Having never been out of NJ, I ended up taking a plane to someplace called Kansas City with like five dollars in my pocket and wondering omg wtf have I done.
5) What was your first job?
Age 14; bussing tables at an awesome little open-hearth hamburger place on Route 22. They used scoops of Cheez Whiz on the cheeseburgers while they were still sizzling. The shit would just glob off. My 18 year-old brother made the homemade pies. I remember the owner lived right behind the restaurant and had 2 Great Danes and a built-in swimming pool that he’d let us all use after work. I can still see my brother playfully punching one of them dogs in the chops.
6) What lead to your dedicated following of the Bobcat's?
Growing up in the NYC area; I was an avid fan of the Knicks, particularly Walt “Clyde” Frazier. I used to pretend I was Clyde running the court. So the NBA got into my blood. The Bobcats are simply now my home team. But beyond that; they kind of scare me. I keep waiting for them to do something really, really dumb. It’s coming, I can feel it.
7) Could you tell us one of your favorite memories of the Bobcat's?
I’ve got 3! 1) All 7 feet of Ryan Hollins charging and full-body diving for a loose ball, forget that some other poor slob was already on the floor with it. 2) Raja Bell in one of his first Bobcat games; quietly saying something so awful to a ref that the guy couldn’t eject him fast enough. 3) That blissful game, over a year ago now; when the PA system was off for the entire 3rd quarter. I can’t express how special that was. I still get teary thinking about it.
8 ) How did you find the Bobcats Planet and what keeps you active on the site?
I have to stay mum on this; Amour17 has photos.
9) What other sports teams do you follow?
Ummm not many anymore. The Panthers I guess. It’s more about hating the Celtics and Lakers for me. I hate them SO much that it’s starting to ruin the NBA altogether.
10) When you’re not on Bobcats Planet what could you likely be found doing with your spare time?
Basically spending it with my wife. We’re empty nesters and generally having a good time with it.
11) If you could have one moment being part of the Bobcats organization, what would it be?
I’d like to be team President. Then in that one moment I’d sign Spectre to a long-term contract to be the Bobcats General Manager.
12) How many trips have you made to the Time Warner Cable Arena?
A lot. I really love road trips to the Box! I’m still looking for some stylish earplugs though.
13) What is your worst fear?
Ooo gotta be Sarah Palin; that and 3 year contracts.
14) What type of hobbies do you enjoy?
Boating at Lake Norman; following PGA golf tournaments; actually attempting to play golf; fishing in North Rend…not necessarily in that order.
I love music to, though my only talent is a decent singing voice. I’ve sung at a couple of churches; with the W-S Symphony Chorus and a barbershop quartet. But I can’t help it; none of that can touch a big ol’ dose of Robert Plant and Jimmy Page.
15) What’s your favorite food?
I’m no longer allowed a favorite food. I’ve been informed that it’s bad for me.
16) Where are some of the places you’ve been, and where are some of your favorites.
I have been 3 places that I’ve got to say were off-the-charts good times: the Cayman Islands, San Francisco and Germany. The hell with Disney World.
17) What is one thing you've always wanted to do, but haven't done yet in your lifetime?
Something seriously meaningful. I just can’t figure out what the hell it is. I love to teach the crap I know, and can be pretty good at it.
That and maybe build a Tiki bar in my garage.
18 ) If you could live anywhere where would it be?
Right here near my kids. Other than that? Hmmm; I don’t know, as long as I can get out of Winston-freaking-Salem at least every other week; I’m ok. Longer than that and my mind gets buggers.
19) Name your favorite 3 Bobcats all time and explain the reason for one of them.
Easy. Ryan Hollins. The best player the Bobcats never appreciated. Hey, he may not have had a clue what he was doing; but he was damn fun to watch doing it. I am a Mavs fan now.
Raja Bell
Gerald Wallace
20) Up to this date, what is one of your favorite Bobcats Planet memories?
First time seeing Amour17’s Fine Ham Biscuit photoshop and thinking; Huh?? and then OMG!! And laughing my ass off for like 2 days. It was such a relief in such a frustrating time. It inspired me to produce a couple of my own. I felt really guilty about that; because I figured the Bobcats were watching.
21) Anything else you'd like to add?
Chillout dudes; somewhere in the world; the sun is shining, the sand is nearly white; it’s hot and the water is aquamarine. The fish are every color of the rainbow. They were put there just for you.
Who would you like to nominate to be interviewed next?
Oh, yeah he knows he’s got next: Dnbman, who was kind enough to have lunch with me in Columbia last week. That’s South Carolina.
