It was 8:16 am EST in Louisville, Kentucky, the forever and always epicenter of college basketball adoration. My coffee still brewing in the Mueller.
In Rock Hill, South Carolina, the game clock read 13:38,
and on the hardwood the home standing Winthrop Eagles led the visiting ASun favorite Queens Royals, 10-5. (I envisioned a hyperventilating Pat Kelsey along the sideline.)
Your inveterate and long standing hoopaholic was getting an opening day fix. (Thank you, youtube.com)
You know, the classic view of a junkie strapping up, finding a vein, taking a hit, and finding bliss.
Yeah, that’s what it was like, fortunately without the H.
The cinematic image that came to mind — it’s kinda what we do here — is Joe Gideon in “All That Jazz” awakening from another fever dream, staring in the mirror, and invoking . . .
“It’s showtime, folks.”
Yes, ladies and gents and fellow hoopaholics hither and yon, in the Bluegrass, along Tobacco Road, near Marty Glickman’s Madison Square Gaaahhhhden, in the Beehive state, at Pauley and, or course, right here in the Ville, it is oh so indeed Showtime.
Lord, I swear I’m seeing tracers. But know they are LRBMs from Beyond the Arc headed toward the hoop.
* * * * *
This morning, Eric Crawford, the doyen of local sports scribes, wrote about opening nights.
Like him, I remember just a couple clearly.
For one, let me go back to the Denny Crum memorial service.
When Junior Bridgeman took the stage, he mentioned as how his first game on the varsity wasn’t at Freedom Hall but at Louisville Gardens.
“Does anybody remember whom we played?”
A lone voice, blush, bellowed out from the media section.
“Vanderbilt!”
Cards fell 57-66. (Transparency, I had to look up the score. And dispute the media guide which says the game was at Convention Center. Not so.)
The only other opening game that immediately came to mind. Denny’s first.
Away game in Gainesville.
Mr. Bunny and I listening on the radio in my hippie pad in the Triangle.
Another L.
69 Cards, 70 Gators.
One more just came to mind. (It’s all coming back now. At least some of it.)
The ’93 season opener. In Rupp. My only game there. DeJuan Wheat’s first game.
Sigh, another L. 70-78.
Tonight’s foe for my team, the South Carolina State Bulldogs.
Thank you, Naismithius for helping guide me along another spin around the sun.
Let’s tip.
— c d kaplan
