Going To The Dance
Sunday Paper (Year 3, Volume XI)
Until Saturday I had never seen, in person, a championship game of any sort.
No, let me adjust that statement:
I had never seen, in person, a championship game of any sort in which the team I was rooting for won.
I was at the America East Championship Game in 2003 - when Vermont beat Boston University on BU's home floor to take the conference's automatic NCAA bid.
Saturday I saw BU get the bid.
And it was really exciting.
I remember well the disappointment in 2003 - BU was coming off a tournament appearance and we felt like they would be going back year after year - they were a program on the upswing and the conference championship was a mere formality.
Instead, Chaz Carr missed a potential buzzer beater in a 56-55 Vermont win, the Catamount fans stormed the court, and it was Vermont, not BU, that went on to have Cinderella-type tournament success.
BU didn't host the America East championship again until this year...and with Stony Brook their opponent the feeling was again one of entitlement: BU was not going to lose this game.
That feeling faded early in the second half when Stony Brook built a 15-point lead and Boston University couldn't hit a 3. Then John Holland put on a performance for the ages.
He had 4 points at the half. Then, in the blink of an eye, he had 20. Turns out - and I didn't realize just how dominant he was until I read the game recap - he accounted for all 14 points of a 14-0 BU run to get them to within one point, and then he tied the game with free throws and hit two free throws to put the Terriers ahead for the first time all game - 56-54 with 2.4 seconds left. (I have since seen video of the end of the game...that was a really tough foul call against Stony Brook. They have a legitimate gripe, which their coach was not shy about expressing.)
Stony Brook missed a heave at the buzzer, and there it was - a championship.
It wasn't a Mets World Series win. It wasn't a Jets Super Bowl championship. But my alma mater winning a conference championship game was pretty friggin' cool. It was one of the most exciting sporting events I've ever attended.
And I'll admit it - watching the celebration in person, I got a little choked up. I was really happy. Really proud.
There's something to be said for the fact that the last two times I celebrated a championship like this, Boston University was the team responsible for making me this happy. The hockey team in 2009 with a national championship and this year's conference champion basketball team. Note that neither one is embroiled in a lockout involving billions of dollars or a financial scandal involving...billions of dollars.
A $15 ticket for a championship experience, an atmosphere where I'd be comfortable taking my kids...I didn't really expect this to turn preachy. But I'll say this - if there's an NFL lockout next year, I'll be spending my Sunday afternoons going to some college sporting events.
It may not be the Super Bowl, but it's good enough for me.
*I attended a women's college basketball game this season, too - another great experience. Definitely taking my daughters to plenty of those as they grow up. (I feel like a commercial for the NCAA.)
*There's a photo album from BU's America East championship up on the 200 Miles From The Citi Facebook page - check it out. And if you aren't already, I'd appreciate it if you became a fan while you were there.
*I haven't been following spring training all that intensely, but all I keep hearing about are injuries. Disproportionate amount this year, or just seemingly so? Ryan Braun and Chase Utley, Zach Duke and Josh Beckett among pitchers hit by liners of some sort, Zack Greinke, Aaron Cook, just naming some off the top of my head.
*Oliver Perez out of the running for a starting rotation spot for the Mets - maybe it isn't going to be all bad for the Mets this year.
*I think I'll go straight through next week with baseball previews. This week's going to be all about the NCAA Tournament. I'm taking a positive spin on the expansion of the field...I'll get into details about that tomorrow to kick off the tournament-opening week.
