Prayers for Dr. C

Hey everyone... just heard some really sad news about Dr. Phil Cansler, better known as Dr. C, the Purple Pride Pep Band band leader. This is cut-and-pasted from a UP Facebook group created for him:

"For those who do not know, Dr. C began having seizures a couple of weeks ago and was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He had surgury on the 7th to try and remove it, however, they discovered that it is malignant and that they cannot fully remove it. They have not yet determined the course of treatment, and the prognosis is not good. He needs your prayers!"

Even though Dr. C has toned it down in recent years, I don't think anyone will ever forget his purple suit, his crazy dancing, his flopping around on the ground, his wigs, his playing the lone ranger and riding around the court on his purlpe trumpet... truly an institution at UP basketball.

Prayers and a full recovery!

Terrible news for a UP institution... he is, whether you like it or not, a huge part of UP hoops.

Best wishes to Dr. C... if anyone can pull it together and rally, it's Dr. C.

I will never forget Dr. C on "Boxer Night" for the band many years ago.

GET WELL SOON, DR. C!

Never saw anybody ride a trumpet around a basketball court . . .and the flare with which he did the chicken dance . . .and hair only a Pilot could love . . .hard to imagine a season without his presence . . .my prayers of strength and peace to Dr. C

I, for one, was sad when he stopped doing his routine right before the team came out on the court. I know there were a lot of people who thought it was pretty corny, but for a ten year old Pilot fan who never really had anything ELSE to cheer about during the late 90s . . .

Get well soon, Dr. C!

Anyone have his act on youtube or posted somehwere so we can see it?

That would be great to see as I never had the pleasure of seeing him.

I hope he gets better, he sounds like an neat man.

Mesa pilot 1

As a concert band and pep band alumnus (and one of the current pep band drummers), this has been a difficult time for all of us. Phil is a character during the games but a great, ever-upbeat guy outside of them.

This might have been from 2004, but it's a good representation of a very good friend.