Championship Week

This year I said no.

I turned down tickets to the Big East Tournament. I declined a week of round ball magic.

For what? Well, mostly for the freedom of watching more basketball at home. I took a brief moment out to watch Arsenal whip Porto, but other than that it’s been all Championship Week. A week of fighting for Conference glory, for one last shot at the NCAAs, and for certain people to get totally shitfaced at Madison Square Garden (I’m taking to you, Providence College).

It’s my favorite time of the year. It’s the reason I have avoided proper office bound employment since I graduated. In my first job, I signed a contract that allowed me to take off one paid month… outside of allotted vacation… for “personal research.” I used the time to go to the NCAA tournament.

That year Wisconsin drew Arizona in Philadelphia. I arrived two hours before tip, was picked up at the airport and headed to the Wacovia Center. Ticketless.

Disheartened by scalpers I wandered aimlessly into will call. There I saw a beacon of hope – Barry Alvarez. “Hey, Barry! How about tickets for some alum?” A shot in the dark, sure, but worth it right? He replied, “I need to get my own kid.” He turned away.

I turned too. But, a moment later felt a tap on the shoulder. An Alvarez assistant handed over two seats.

I spent that afternoon chatting to an assistant coaches mother, and watching the Badgers get torn to pieces. She asked me which ‘Zona cheerleader I’d most like to bang. I pointed to a busty Asian. Had the older lady not been on oxygen she might have high fived me. Instead, she just smiled.

That evening I watched UCONN play Albany and sat next to Hilton Armstrong’s father. He told me some good stories and I told him that I was a little afraid of Denham Brown’s family.

Point being, basketball has been good to me.

Last year, UCONN played in Philly again. I had two extra tickets. I saw two young Husky fans looking lost. I gave the same way Mr. Alvarez once gave to me.

I may regret the missed opportunity of sitting in my favorite arena watching Greg Monroe battle ‘Cuse this afternoon. I will morn UCONN’s fall from Final Four to possibly not even cracking the NIT. I’ll wait patiently until next year (where it all starts in Maui). I’ll cheer against Duke. I will cheer for the underdog.

I will spend a few days wondering if it is worth to fly somewhere completely random and watch Cornell with some friends.

Mostly, I will happily celebrate 3 more weeks of tournament.

(Oh, and then I will probably go to the Jordan Brand Classic and a few other high school all-star games).