Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Let's go DUKE!! National Champions Baby!!

First of all a few congratulatory remarks are in order:

1. Butler you played a heck of a game man, a small, small part of me wanted you to win. I have a heart for Cinderella's
2. DUKE for winning the national title.
3. The duke team for making it way to close of a title game, that caused me have extreme angina and the desire to change the channel several times because, the game was way tooooooo close for comfort.
4. To 24 for allowing me to a brief relief from the having a heart attack.

Part of me is in a state of mourning that March Madness is ending. It's such an amazing time of year. From when the conference tourney's end to selection Sunday. Teams anxiously waiting in locker rooms, gymnasiums, field houses, restaurants, and coach's houses to see if they hear their name called. Small schools that win their conference championships are my favorite to watch. The anticipation, the smiles, the laughter, and the ensuing joy that takes place in those moments when they hear their name called, is joy at its purest form. I think that is part of the reason I love this time of a year.

Every year I pick Duke to win it all, and most of the time I end up being wrong. But they are my team. This year however I thought maybe, just maybe they could pull it off. The three S's: super, sensational and sintilating. Singler, Scheyer, and Smith. Senior leadership that most teams never have because of the alluring NBA. Scheyer with such a pure stroke, and character that survived a post season shooting slump that would have killed the confidence of some players. Zoubek who entered the starting line up February 13th and changed the team for the better. Singler an all around great player, with a willingness to anything to help his time win. For me the best story of the tourney is a young man named Nolan.

The boy who lost not only his father, but best friend at the age of 8. Came into his tournament honoring his father, wanting to be like his father, embodying who his father was and the lessons that he taught them It had become a story for the tourney, constant features on ESPN, articles, and blogs embodied the subject. Smith wanting to bad to get that ring, not only for himself, but to honor his father. A young man with a grin that not many can resist worked so hard last night, just like his mom told him before the game when they lock eyes, connect and she says, "GO TO WORK." Just like she told her boyfriend in 1980, and just like his father used to tell him. The Smith's embody the statement, like father, like son. Such a powerful story, you should read it.

The game was an amazing game, a basketball game that will be remembered as one of the greats. For me it was a great one not because a team ran away with, there were spectacular high flying dunks, or several NBA first round picks relying on talent. It was two groups of young men you left it all out of the floor. The words that come to mind, tenacity, heart, emotion, will, passion, gutsy, fight, and a dream. That's what March is about, playing with everything you have, fighting until you having nothing left and leaving it all on the court. And that my friends is what the duke blue devils did. They left it all out on the court and it paid off because they can now say that they are the "NCAA 2010 Men's Division 1 National Basketball Champions." I think this is my favorite picture:



As to march I bid you farewell.... hopefully the UCONN game will go well tonight :)

p.s. Vacation blog and stupid running blog idea is coming I promise!!!

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