March Madness. They call it that for a reason.
There's nothing quite like it. (And the games this year in particular have been nothing short of spectacular. My hands were shaking for minutes after MSU's win over Duke on Sunday night.)
I love watching it, no matter who is playing, as long as it's a good game. Auburn and UK on Sunday? Holy cow! And Purdue vs Virginia - even via FaceTime with my dad (since I don't have cable), it caused my heart to pound. But when Michigan State's in it? That's a whole different ball game.
I originally reflected on my love of Spartan basketball via this post in 2011 (2 days after my grandpa passed away). And for me, this truth never gets old, and I probably can't put it in any better words. I still love sharing it, especially as year after year my students ask, "Why MSU? Did you go there?" (I like to think I did...in fact, for awhile I tried to think up what degree or certification I could get from there.) I think it's important for the students to recognize the importance of connecting with their grandparents, no matter by what means that connection happens.
And nowadays, MSU basketball is a connection with my parents too. We get on a group text, commenting on the games, how grandpa would have hated any missed free throws, and wondering if they'd pull through. At 3:21 left in any given game, if MSU's ahead (which they were on Sunday at that point), my dad still says, "321 call Chuck" (our street address in Michigan and my grandpa's name) - more often than not, if the Spartans were ahead at that point in the game they would win. (I guess you could call it a superstition.) "Do it for Grandpa" is still our rallying cry.
As I sit here typing this post, I am staring at a small poster announcing MSU as the 2000 NCAA Division I Basketball Champs - a stunning win over the University of Florida, 89-76. It's one of the only things I ended up asking for when my grandpa died. (I also took a Spartan sweatshirt that belonged to my grandma.) I am hoping that this season - 19 years later - I can add another poster of my own for 2019. I hope these boys have it in them - I personally have faith they can go all the way.
College basketball? It's madness, yes. But for me, it's memories and keeping those memories alive in a special way. I'm not sure I would have wanted to be in the same room as my grandpa if he were alive to watch Sunday night's game against Duke - the stress would have been too much. (I'm sure my roommates were about to throw things at me for the screaming and jumping up and down I did that day as it was.) I will be a Spartan basketball fan for life, even over the schools I actually graduated from. (Call me crazy - that's fine by me.) There's something about the way that team always plays, how Izzo coaches them, and how I know my grandpa is still watching with me.
Go Green! Go White! Do it for Grandpa!!
P.S. - If you're feeling sentimental (or want a good laugh), check out these two posts from the archives: "Words, Don't Fail Me Now" and "Grandpa-isms: Sayings, Songs, Jokes, and More..."
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