Now it's official: I am a sports fan.
Everyone in my family is a lover of some kind of sport. Everyone except myself. I watch a few competitions here and there, but never to the point where I had to rush home, decline importance events, etc. because I just HAD to see a game. I was referred to as "the only one who doesn't like sports." That all changed when March Madness happened this year.
Last season, I entered my bracket in the pot we had going at my job -- just for the heck of it. I wasn't gonna do it because I didn't know jack about the teams or players, besides what my family may have mentioned around me. But a co-worker said my chances of winning were just as good as anybody's so I did it. Guess what happened? I had waaay too many upsets and picked Gonzaga to go all way. So of course, everybody laughed at me when Gonzaga didn't get past the first round.
Fast forward to this year, I decided to do a bracket again. Only this time I didn't do it for money. I just wanted to see how well--or bad--my picks would be this year. And I refused to share my picks with ANYONE! A few people tried to get me to talk, but I remained tight-lipped.
I knew something in me had changed this past Saturday, when KU was scheduled to play UNC that night. A friend of mine was throwing her 30th birthday party at 8. The game was to start minutes before then. I told my friend that I would join her party right after the game was over. WAIT! Did I just put a stupid ol' basketball game before a friend's party? Yes, I did. Fortunately, she understood. I mean, come on -- KU was on they're way to being the champs this year! That night, KU celebrated their win over UNC and good ol' Roy!!
My stomach was already in knots when I woke up yesterday morning. This is the big day. Kansas against Memphis. The road ends here, the sign said. When I got to work, I listened to "Luv that Crimson Blue", a KU Final Four rap by Bic Media. Then I listened to as much pump-up music as I could on my iTunes. But before I left for the day, I had to hear just one more song that would best signify KU's victory. The song that came next was Trillville's "Neva Eva", the song my sister and I chanted after KU spanked UNC's asses. At that moment, I felt like quoting Tom Hanks' character in "A League of Their Own"... "We're gonna win... We're gon
na WIN!!!"My mother, nephew and I grabbed some dinner from Jazz and rushed back home in time to settle down before the tip-off. The game became more and more intense as it went. KU was leading, then Memphis was leading and so on and so forth. In the second half, it seemed as if Memphis was going to take the title. Then after several fouls from KU, Memphis went to the free throw line. They made the first few, but after my mother decided she just couldn't look anymore, Douglas-Roberts missed. So did the almighty Derrick Rose! My sister demanded that our mother keep her head turned away from the television to keep Memphis from scoring. Then, with less than 4 seconds left in the second half, Mario Chalmers hit a 3-pointer, which tied the game and went to overtime!! I was so excited, I jumped out of my chair, knocking it, my jacket and purse to the floor!! I just couldn't sit down for the rest of the game (but I had to because that's where I'd been sitting the whole night). So what we're a lil' superstitious?
Anyway, KU defeated Memphis 75-68. My sister finally let my mother watch the screen with 10 seconds left of the game. Words cannot express all the emotions I felt watching that game. I suppose other fans across the country felt the same as I did. By the time the game ended, I had a migraine, but that didn't keep me from shouting and acting like a damn fool!!!
Oh--I almost forgot to mention... I had KANSAS as the CHAMPIONS in my bracket! Go, KU!!!
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