Friday, March 23, 2012

Game Time

My grandfather raised me to love Indiana basketball. Watching games together, or watching games separately, then coming together to discuss them at a later date...that was OUR thing. My mom didn't like basketball. My sisters didn't like basketball. My aunt was a Duke fan.

My grandpa and I always had our Hoosiers.

When my family was gathered around him in the hospital several years ago, while we were waiting for the doctors to take him off of life support, while I was trying to figure out what my final words should be to the man I loved so much, my mom said, 'tell him about IU winning last night'.

So I did.

I still have a box of tapes in my basement, video evidence of every win (wins only, of course, because he taped over the losses) IU had over a good twenty year period, that my grandmother gave me after Papa's funeral. I still love Bobby Knight with all of my heart, because that's who Papa loved. I went to Notre Dame, but I've never stopped cheering for IU in basketball, even though they play each other every year.

In fact, I actively tried to root against them when I went to those games when I was in college, since I didn't want to get boo'd out of the student section, but I just couldn't do it.

It drives Steve nuts.

I can't help it...

So, if you need me tonight, I will be sitting in the nosebleed section of the Georgia Dome, waaaaaay past my bedtime at 9:45PM, wearing red in the sea of blue-clad Kentucky fans that I can GUARANTEE you will be descending upon my city tonight, trying to cheer my Hoosiers past those #1 seeded (and very much hated) UK Wildcats.




My Papa would be so proud.

3 comments:

  1. Lucky you getting to go to the game!! It is going to be a good one. I will think of you as I crash on my couch to watch the game in my pj's!!
    Have a great weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is the sweetest post. Sorry to hear your Hoosiers didn't make it... Even though I'm a Boilermaker, I'd rather have seen the Hoosiers win instead of UK. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love this post! I can completely relate, in a watered down kind of way. My dad went to UMD so I grew up cheering for Terps bball. Then I found myself headed to UVA and didn't know where my allegiance lied when I went to the games, haha. Didn't want to be booed at so I discreetly cheered instead.

    PS - I hope you still had a great time at the game even though UK won. Now I'm secretly hoping for a UK vs. Louisville Final 4 -- so much history there!

    ReplyDelete

Leave a comment, if you'd like...I'd love to hear from you!