GOING TO THE BIG DANCE

Last night I watched the big game.{NCAA Basketball Championship for those that aren't aware} It was an outstanding game. I would say, in my humble opinion, one of the best in recent years. The game was close most of the way through, except when Memphis was up 56-49 and didn't seem that they could miss a shot, this didn't deter Kansas. In the end, as it almost always does in close games, it came down to free throws. Someone choked and choked big. The Memphis team missed four out of five free throws in the last several minutes, which gave Kansas an opportunity to tie it with a three pointer in the last seconds of the game. I was praying that they would tie it. I mean they just had to after all those shots were missed. In over time Kansas pulled ahead and took the Championship.

Having said all this there was one thing that I thought was also interesting. Memphis is one of the worst in free throw percentages in the country, at 59% . The Memphis coach had said earlier that it didn't matter because his team always came through in the end. WHAT! Come on these are free throws. PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE! Big games that are close, are won and lost on free throws. Plus with that record don't you think the other team will know and use it to their advantage. Whatever, this really bugs me THEY ARE FREE THROWS! FREE! again Practice is the key word here.

On another note I love basket ball , can you tell? I played in organized teams since I was about 7 years old. When I was 16 my high school team Played in the sectionals, won, then in the regionals,Won, and then went to play at the big dance for the state, in Colombia MO. It was awesome playing in all these games, every venue bigger and more awesome than the next. It was just like in "Hoosiers" when they play in bigger arenas and get all psyched. We didn't get First place but we were in the final four and I did get to play on a huge court in front of hundreds of people cheering for me and my teammates. You can never truly know the feeling unless you have been in the position. It feels like floating on air and dancing at the same time. When your team is in the Zone and you are doing everything right and every bucket goes in, you feel like, indestructible. That was the feeling back in Feb 1984 for me. I wish my family could have seen me play and could of felt the excitement that was in my soul. Maybe they did And I didn't know. I love this game. Every time I watch such great games I think back to the glory days. I get a little melancholy but Now I am in a greater game and the period's are longer and the oppressor's tougher. The end is not so near and some times the game drags, but I will win and float on air and dance at the same time in the end....{ It better be the same feeling or better}