For the second time in the Sweet 16, the left coast Huskies of Washington met the right coast Huskies of Connecticut. And for the second time, it was an epic game. I can't help being a homer for the UW Dawgs. But even people who didn't care about the game beyond their lame office brackets agree: this was a hell of a basketball game. DVB and I staked out a Mexican cafe in Old Town San Diego with some obscenely large HD televisions for the action, and after suffering through the street fight that was the BC-Villanova game, proceeded to make it clear to everyone in the bar that we were from UW. Near the end of the game, when it looked sure we would win, people were sending us congratulations drinks. When it went to overtime people started sending us consolation drinks. Even our hot lesbian waitress took the time to say she was sorry for our loss. Sweet girl. And like most women in this town, not at all hot. Sheesh.
And take note, Adam Morrison and JJ Redick. Brandon Roy, a senior playing his last college game, didn't start blubbering and whimpering on the floor. He didn't, as Morrison did, start bawling before the game was even over (Gonzaga still had a chance to win when Morrison decided to show his true colors). Take note "Coach K" and Mark Few, even though UW probably got jobbed by the refs in the waning moments of the game (and on a very questionable 4th foul call on Roy), Lorenzo Romar (who should be the perennial favorite for coach of the year) didn't say one word about the game being unfair officiated.
Hell, even the two VB brothers, UW alums, hopelessly purple, felt good at the end. It was one of the most exciting ball games you could ever hope to watch.
Headed home to Seattle from San Diego. Back on the training this evening with a short 3 miler in the neighborhoods around Casa GVB. Monday I'm switching over to the bike,
8 comments:
It was a great game - if you can stand the ups and downs of a second half like that one. They had it - or so it seemed, and then bam - overtime. ugh. But the sure played a good, solid game. Unlike other teams, including Syracuse, who couldn't keep it together with their star on the bench, the UW men pulled it up. They played it all the way to the very end, which is notable. And I really enjoyed watching coach Romar keep his cool (for the most part), keep it focused, keep it controlled - very impressive.
I may wear orange (albeit reluctantly) these days, but I still bleed purple. I didn't like losing, but as you observed, it was a loss accompanied by class. I liked that part.
The question is this:
Would you rather have ONE national championship or 10 straight years of Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight showings?
I think ONE national championship - but only because after 10 years of not quite getting there, the pundits start to make unfortunate comments. That ONE was sure a sweet (and exhilarating) season - sort of like the Huskies Rose Bowl season my first year at UW.
Hmmm. Not me. I live in this town, and I can tell you that I'd much rather have the Dawgs in the hunt every year with a chance to win than sell it all out for one championship.
Think about Husky football right now. They sold it all out in 1991 (oh my god I'm old) for a championship. Now they suck worse than the Mets. That's right, Al. The Mets suck.
Al is ignoring nasty talk about his Metropolitans.
Al is incapable of ignoring nasty talk about the Mets. It's an inbred physical abnormality that people from Long Island seem to have.
First: it's rude to bring up the fact that you still live there.
Second: I don't think we can call it a sell out when the Orange have a long history of making it to the Sweet 16 and beyond year after year (most recent years excepted).
Third: Were the '91 Huskies so different from the '00 Huskies (or '01, depending on how you count)?
I don't think sellout is the right term.
And yeah - I can say one championship because I now inhabit a school that routinely makes the tournament, whose coach made the Hall of Fame, whose town just expects to be paying attention to March Madness, year after year after year.
But I am still a girl who, when the Final Four came to Seattle, didn't know what it was or why anyone cared. Even after having it explained to me - didn't "get" it. Now I get it. and to be honest, I'd much rather see the Huskies there than the Orange, should that ever be the choice, which I thought it might be this year, and would have liked to see that game, but it was not to be.
For Al: the Mets... they play in New York, right? Somewhere other than where that other NY team plays?
I was rooting for the Red Sox. :)
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