The Zookeeper and the Animals

By Jim Joanos

Drew Hankin, age 38, died unexpectedly last month. Drew was not rich. Nor was he vastly famous. What he was, was a very positive influence on hundreds of lives.

Drew Hankin

Drew was the Zookeeper (leader) of a vibrant group of Florida State University fans called the "Animals of Section B" who add a most entertaining element to the school's baseball program. The Animals sit together at the home games. They chant and cheer and sing witty songs throughout the games. They do unusual things like displaying the Canadian flag and singing "O Canada" in the bottom of the fifth inning. They compose and sing ballads about their favorite ballplayers. They seem to always have something funny to say about whatever transpires on the field of play. They are well known throughout the Atlantic Coast Conference as well as by FSU's traditional opponents. Numerous television, radio and newspaper reporters and commentators have through the years paid high tributes to them and their enhancement of FSU baseball. Other fan groups have tried to emulate them.

The Animals date their existence back to 1977. Some old fans believe that they evolved out of a fan group that existed even before that time and was organized around supporting an individual player, a first baseman. That group carried a paddle with the player's picture on it and waved it during games.

The Animals of Section B

In any event, the group was firmly in place around 1978 when they used to tantalize Sol Carroll, the older gentleman who was then regarded as "FSU's Number One Fan." Sol would bring doughnuts to the games and throw them to the crowd. The group would jeer and cheer at the old guy and consequently his retort was to call them a "bunch of animals." They have been "animals" ever since.

They sit in an area of the grandstand labeled "Section B." It is the only section with a letter designation. The others are numerically identified. In the old configuration of the stadium all the sections bore letter designations and the animals sat in Section B. When the stadium was updated the designations were changed to numerical ones. The story goes that Drew Hankin, as the "Zookeeper" insisted that the Animals of Section B had to sit in Section B. University officials acquiesced and as a result the area where the Animals congregate is labeled "B."

It has been my good fortune to have been a very serious Florida State University baseball fan for a number of years. Through the years, my wife and I have benefitted enormously from the fun generated by the Animals. Therefore, we felt compelled to attend the memorial service held at Howser Stadium to celebrate Drew's life. Learning of the good things that Drew did during his short lifetime proved to be one of the most inspirational experiences that we have had in a long time.

Drew grew up in Tallahassee where he attended, played in the band and graduated from Godby High School and then FSU. His major interests included the FSU Marching Chiefs, where he was a member of the tuba section, music and the arts, and FSU baseball. He was not just interested in FSU baseball, he was the fan leader. He kept a web site dedicated to the team and phoned, texted and emailed to folks internationally keeping them informed of FSU baseball.

Those in attendance at the memorial service were most impressive. They included the FSU baseball team and coaches, the tuba section and other members of the Marching Chiefs and Seminole Sound, FSU administrators as well as hundreds of fans, like us who were there to honor one who had helped provide so much fun through the years.

There were numerous speakers, some planned and others who feeling the emotion of the moment felt the need to express their love for a man who was the "best friend" of dozens of people. There were high school friends who described him as the one they turned to when they needed assistance. There were references to the thoughtful things he did for the players and their families. There was testimony of folks who got support from Drew when they needed it most. The service was ninety minutes of expressions of love for a man who himself had loved so well and completely.

Drew Hankin, the Zookeeper, will be long remembered.