My favorite NCAA ad this year has been the one for the Sheraton Inn, where the rivals share everything from umbrellas to nachos. Or it was until this afternoon, when I saw the newest “Guitar Hero” Risky Business ad where Coach K, Roy Williams, Rick Pitino and Bobby Knight slide in clad in their tidy whities.
Chris accepted long ago that I become rather distracted when basketball season starts. It was worse when we lived in NC and the ACC dominated. I remember when I was a girl, teachers would roll TVs into the classrooms — and we watched the tournament in class — forget history or algebra. And if you were lucky enough be a “ball boy/girl” your absence was automatically excused. Another of my favorite memories comes from my college years. We always went to an older family member’s house on Sunday afternoons in basketball season. Now he was a serious Duke fan. Born in 1913, he had graduated from there in the ’30s and gave them unswerving loyalty. That is, until the last 2 minutes of the game. Then he would excuse himself, and as the clock ticked the game away — he would pace in his wintery backyard awaiting the outcome. He said that he wasn’t going to give himself a heart attack over a basketball game 🙂
As I mentioned before, I love that Bruce Pearl came to TN at the same time we did, so I get to experience basketball frenzy here in Knoxville. Unfortunately, UT and most of the ACC bowed out in the first round. And when my beloved Blue Devils bowed out against the smoking Villanova, I find myself facing a dilemma.
Do I support the ACC, although there is no deeper rivalry than that between Duke and Carolina? And some of the most memorable games I’ve ever contested have been UNC-somebody matchups…. Or do I support UConn, paying tribute to Chris’ home state — but enduring all the hoopla I used to get in college about the dominance of the Big East and PAC 10 schools over the scrappy little ACC? Of course the ACC isn’t so little anymore, but still…..
I guess I’ll hope for a UConn-UNC match-up and see what happens. Although, if UNC & Villanova stay as hot as they have in the opening rounds of the tourney, their meeting may be the highlight of whole tournament. But, my brain has turned to basketball mush — my youngest had 4 games this weekend, so I’ll probably dream of round ball tonight!
Hey, do you have a sport you revel in?
tip-off tunes: How You Play the Game (Michelle Shocked); She Can Play (Damien Horne); Cluster Pluck (Brad Paisley): Mind Games (John Lennon); The Old Playground (Bruce Hornsby); Get’cha Head in the Game (from HS Musical); Let the Music Play (G. Love and Marc Broussard); Basketball Jones (Cheech & Chong — just for you Harry); Money for Nothing (Dire Straits); Quit Playing Games (Backstreet Boys, sue me I like a few); The Name of the Game (ABBA); Undecided Blues (Tony Bennett); Basketball (Kurtis Blow); Dance, Dance, Dance (the Steve Miller Band); Right as Rain (Adele); and Fighting for My Life (Don Dixon)
A basketball team is like the five fingers on your hand. If you can get them all together, you have a fist. That’s how I want you to play. –> Mike Krzyzewski
Take care,
Aly
History Thru the Looking Glass 