Basketball In The Big Easy
By Beth Denbow
A Duke fan, who happens to be a Michigan State student, arrives at the Louisiana Superdome, surrounded by Kansas, Texas, Syracuse and Marquette fans. (Mind you, Kansas knocked off Duke and Texas knocked off Michigan State!) Standing out in her Duke shirt and MSU jacket, she looked like a skit from Sesame Street: "One of these things just doesn't belong here..."
But I DID belong there! For the love of basketball, I belonged. For the love of basketball, I was accepted.
For a fan, the Final Four is like Disney World. And like the Magic Kingdom, you'll meet people from all over the country, some who are fans or alumni of the teams playing, and others who are there for the atmosphere. New Orleans was my third Final Four. Each time the fans embraced each other, there was no fighting, only cheering.
Kansas and Texas fans assured me that my teams would be there next year. I agreed. Marquette fans were just so darn happy to be there they congratulated every fan. And then the Syracuse fans, the smallest in number, had the last laugh; had the trophy.
After the national championship game, the crowd of thousands emptied out into the streets. It was an amazing sight. Basketball fans on parade. A mixture of colors and ages. Strangers would hug each other after noticing they were wearing the same t-shirt of a team. Friends were made for life. Adults acted like kids and their kids looked at them in awe.
I was a bystander, really, for my teams had not played. I, too, watched the scene in awe. It was amazing. Somewhere close to Bourbon Street, a girl in her Duke clothes and her father dressed in Michigan State felt the agony of the Kansas fans and the joy of being a Syracuse fan. But as we walked away, our hearts became a little heavier. It would have been nice if we had something to celebrate for ourselves. Instead, it was all over. Done. Since October at the midnight practice, we had waited and hoped for this moment that was now passing us by--or rather, we were passing it by on our way to the car.
It's going to be a long six months.