Inside Bill Snyder's Office - View 1
It's well-documented that Snyder is an enormous fan of Pinocchio and the message the movie sends about passion, persistence and honesty.
Many Wildcat fans have compared Snyder to Geppetto for the way he transformed the Kansas State program from a hunk of college football's forgotten driftwood using the same core values the movie showcases into one of the nation's best programs. Once K-Staters found out his love for the movie in the late 1990s, the Pinocchio figurines started flowing in from all corners of the country -- and the world.
Now everywhere you look in Snyder's office there are Pinocchios staring back at you, including two sitting on his desk that were sent to him by different Wildcat fans from Italy.
"What I appreciated about it that there was somebody like Geppetto," Snyder said. "There was somebody that cared enough about a young person to go through all the he went through in order to help Pinocchio overcome his ill-advised lifestyle. I always appreciated that.
"When they finally put Pinocchio out on DVD, I went through town and bought every one that I could find. I gave them all to my children, all of my grandchildren and still have few left over that I'd give to young people when the opportunity came. It's such a powerful message, and I'm appreciative of how K-Staters have embraced all that it means to me."
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