March Madness

March Madness is underway.  It’s hard to live in Kentucky for long and not be a basketball fan.  I was not born or raised in Kentucky, but somewhere along the way in my adulthood, I came to like basketball.  My older brother played varsity basketball in high school, but I rarely went to his games.  And, I didn’t care about basketball in college either, although I can remember watching basketball games on TV with my first-husband’s family when we visited them.  My first husband had no interest in sports of any kind.

In between marriages, most men I dated did watch basketball games or listen to them on the radio.  Not to brag, but I actually met and went out a few times with an ex-Kentucky basketball player.  He was a nice guy but not really my type; we really didn’t have much in common except that we both liked to play golf.  He was slightly taller than 7 feet tall, so tall that he ducked whenever he walked through doorways.  It’s sort of an inconvenience to be so tall – he had to custom-order clothes.  Compact cars were impossible for him.

    

Someone’s family is all into basketball.  Someone’s father got a full scholarship to play basketball at University of Florida.  That was a very big deal for an eastern Kentucky boy in those days….it’s still a big deal.  Someone, his brother, and his youngest sister were all awesome high school basketball players.  Many of someone’s nieces and nephews played or play basketball.  Someone was never able to get our girls interested in playing.  We have a hoop over the driveway and we all shoot baskets for fun, but not for long and not enough to be good at it.  We only shoot because it’s there and we have a basketball.  Our girls always had too many other interests.

 

Anyway, this afternoon, Someone and I watched Kentucky (University of Kentucky) beat Wichita State.  It was an exciting game until the very end.  WIth only 2.3 seconds left in the game, Wichita had possession and needed a 3-pointer to win.  One of their best 3-point shooters took a shot as the buzzer sounded but the ball didn’t go in.  Hooray!  Kentucky advances to the Sweet Sixteen.  

The Wildcats will play Louisville on Friday.  The two best Kentucky teams will play each other – now that’s major excitement!!!  The arena will be packed like red and blue sardines.  I haven’t decided who I want to win.  I was a Kentucky fan until this year.  Erin will be a Louisville Cardinal starting August….I think that makes me more loyal to the Cards from now on...but maybe not.    

http://www.nationofblue.com/History-of-the-Louisville-Cardinals-vs-Kentucky-Wildcats-Rivalry/