dUKe still sucks..

I am not going to make this post an opportunity to belittle the Blue Devils accomplishment. I am not going to talk about how the Selection committee hooked them up with VIP treatment. Not going to mention how they were one or two shady calls against Baylor from being knocked out in the Elite Eight. I am not going to stoop to that level. Not even going to talk about how annoyed I get from their slap the floor, flop all over the place style of play. They saved their best basketball for the tournament, and were able to hold off the pesky Butler Bulldogs to get their fourth National Championship. Congrats.

I can't really say too many good things about Duke, and since I am not going to talk about those things I mentioned above, that only leaves Butler to talk about. I cannot remember the last time I was that emotionally invested in a game that didn't involve the Cats. A lot of that had to do with my utter hatred for Duke, but it also had to do with how I can relate to Butler. The modern day Hoosiers were a team that many in this end of the state could connect with. Carlisle County has played that part at times over the years, and the movie Hoosiers has to be viewed at Carlisle County Middle School once a week during March, per County By Laws.

Butler played the underdog part to perfection. They had a couple players that were every bit as talented as their counterpart, but were overall outmatched by the bigger Devils. They more than made up for any talent disparity with gritty play and valuing each possession, and came close to completing one of the greatest Cinderella stories in sports history. Alas, the slipper didn't fit for Butler. Two shots by Butler's best player missed by the slimmest of margins, and they came up just short.

Those shots missing resonated even deeper here in the Bluegrass. While the ball was in the air, moving towards the basket, there was real hope that Christian Laettner's shot might be moved down a notch in the great sporting moments hierarchy. Had that half court shot found its home, we would have had a new shot as the headliner. I spent most of the game listening to my brain, which said Butler had next to no shot. That all disappeared while those shots were making their way home. During that last minute, it started to feel like it was predestined that Butler was actually going to slay Goliath.

Just inches separated us from one of the great sports moments of all time. Seems about right in the most bush league NCAA Tournament of all time. Duke got all the calls, got the easiest path imaginable, and cake walk doesn't begin to describe their road to the Finals. I hate Duke. Sorry, tried taking the high road, but that just doesn't play in Kentucky. Screw Duke, and Go Big (REAL) Blue.