Yes, the Duge master is still beating up on everyone. Good job, Duge master. Blah, blah, blah… Who cares? Today, there’s a little more at stake than our brackets. Today, IU has a shot at moving on.
I am not sure about you, but this is a very big deal for me. I went to IU. I studied at IU. I pledged at IU. I worked at IU. I played at IU. I fell in love at IU (a bunch of times). :-) I graduated from IU…3 times. I guest lectured at IU. I recruited from IU. Two of my brothers graduated from IU. My sister graduated from IU. Most of my friends are... from IU. Indiana University is a BIG deal for me.
I was at IU when IU was a basketball school. We won consistently. When we beat Syracuse and won the national title in ’87, I remember taking a step back and trying to soak it all in. …trying to savor the moment. …trying to burn it into my memory so I would never forget the feeling. I remember being happy for fellas on the team…my good friends (Keith Smart, Dean Garret, Ricky Calloway, Daryl Thomas and others). I remember the moment I realized things like that (winning a national title) don’t happen all the time. It was IU’s 5th championship…but I realized it needed to be cherished. I realized it might never happen again.
It’s been 25 years since we won the championship. In those 25 years, lots of things have happened. We made a couple of runs in the 90’s but fell short. In 2002, we upset no.1, undefeated Duke and went on to play for the national title against Maryland. I remember talking to my buddies (IU guys watching the game with me) about how this doesn’t happen all the time….about how lucky we were to be in the championship…about how many students, alums, fans, etc., never get to experience a championship or even playing for a championship. It’s special…and it doesn’t happen for everyone.
In the last 25 years, we (IU) have had a number of seasons when we did not even make the tournament. We were not one of the top 64 teams in the country. Yes, we WERE a basketball school…a long time ago…but not anymore. Now we may be better known for our music department. So, when I saw my Hoosiers playing well early this season, I wondered... I wondered if they had it in them. I wondered if they could beat a team that was good. Then I watched them beat no. 1 ranked, undefeated Kentucky. …and I, like everyone else, screamed with joy. Then I quietly thought to myself, “We’re back.” I then watched that same team beat the no. 2 ranked team and the no. 5 ranked team. I (also) watched our losses to lesser opponents like Nebraska and Minnesota…but I remained hopeful.
Once we entered this year’s tournament, I filled out my bracket. I guessed IU would win 2 games. They’ve done that. Thank you IU…and congratulations. You have met my expectations and you’ve probably exceeded the expectations of a lot of folks. Good job. Even though logic tells me Kentucky will beat my Hoosiers tonight, it is difficult to wrap my brain around that. I always say, “pick logically…but cheer emotionally." Well, today, I am full of emotions. Logic has not factored in. Go IU! Beat Kentucky…again!
The Commissioner!
Ps. I am at Chevron (my client) today. I am the only one sitting in this very corporate environment wearing a t-shirt. …and my t-shirt says INDIANA!!!!!!!
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