2009 NCAA Tournament Final Four. April 4th and 6th. Detroit’s Ford Field.
Yes, it finally happened. After a handfull of years trying, and longer than that dreaming, the Trip had arrived to the Final Four. What better setting could it have been? Downtown Detroit, home to 4 of the 5 trip members. Michigan State arriving to stir up the home crowd after defeating Louisville in Indianapolis. Ford Field set up to hold 70,000+. The lead up to this was truly epic. Sam and I secured our pairs of tickets months previous to knowing Michigan State would be there. The Spartans slaying Pitino was nothing short of epic, and far more than icing on the cake. After the Philly trip two weeks earlier, MSU single handedly put this basketball season beyond the stratosphere.
I (Rhett) flew in from Vegas to Detroit on Friday night to a car full of Jimmy the driver, Sam, and Nate. We went down to a brewpub to have a few pops before calling it a night. Afterall, we did have a pretty big day coming up.
Saturday 4/6 – We woke up early and rallied at Nate’s to get downtown early. Michigan State and UConn tipped around 6:00 or so. We decided it was best to get to the bar at 11:00 AM. We went to a bar called Bookie’s, which was the designated “home bar” for Villanova fans. Villanova is in Philadelphia. I am sure they were shocked to see such a nicely appointed place with nice people bringing you beer, and that it was even available outside of a secret cave. We held down the fort there for several hours putting back several rounds, a small offering of Jamison, and a round of pub burgers. The place filled up quick, and it was obvious our table was in high demand. We were asked several times if we had tickets to the game. psh. We promised our spot to some random MSU fans and made our way into the sun and revelry about two hours before the game or so. Downtown Detroit was bustling with everybody you could think of. Phil Martelli appreciates me. He said it himself. The Wildcat from Villanova tried to molest Sam as well. People were everywhere, the beers were flowing, and the MSU Fight Song was always within hearing distance, along with the always popular “Go Green! Go White!” chants. A great lead up to the games of the evening to say the least.
#1 Connecticut vs #2 Michigan State – Well, what can be said that hasn’t already? Connecticut is from the mighty Big East, has several NBA players on its roster, and hadn’t really played with anybody in the tournament yet. Dominant to say the least. Michigan State on the other hand won a nail biter against Kansas, and then proceed to destroy Louisville in the second half both physically and mentally. They still weren’t supposed to beat UConn, but they did. They fucking did. Highlights are obvious: The shimmy shake by Kalin Lucas as he drove the ball on a fast break for a sweet lay up. Durrell Summers challenging the gangster Stanley Robinson on a throw down that shook all of Ford Field. The home crowd was into it, the players were into it, and most of all, our beloved coach Tom Izzo was into it. A great atmosphere and an even better game from a Spartan fan’s perspective. Final Score: Michigan State 82, Connecticut 73.
#1 North Carolina vs #3 Villanova – The second game was the second game. The air had been let out of the building. North Carolina controlled this game from the start. Villanova tried its best to mount comebacks, but just could not hang with the Tar Heels. Michigan State fans did stick around in packs, rooting for the Wildcats to make it to the final, but it just was not enough. North Carolina takes the ball and shoves it down your throat at a breakneck pace. Villanova had a nice run this year though with their win over Pittsburgh, bouncing Duke, and a nice run in the Big East. North Carolina was supposed to win this game dating back to last year. And they did. North Carolina 83, Villanova 69.
So there you have it. #1 North Carolina vs #2 Michigan State for the title. Home crowd for Sparty. Team of Destiny crap thrown around left and right.
Sunday 4/7 – We got together for a meal and went down to Hoop City. I had proclaimed myself Mayor of Hoop City ever since my tickets came in the mail. We were all anxious to check it out. We went down to Cobo, skipped the line due to the tourney coat, and were shocked to find that Hoop City was nothing more than rugrat central. Several 3 on 3 tourneys going on, face painting and thousands of kids practicing their crossovers in front of people walking around. Really nothing for a bunch of basketball loving adult dudes. We walked around for an hour to make sure we didn’t miss anything and took off. No knock on the actual idea, it’s great for what it is. What it is is not for us. We all made our way back to our own perspective spots to rest up for the last game of the season
Monday 4/8 – D day. Literally. The entire city and outlying areas were buzzing. Word got around that there was going to be a white out at Ford Field tonight for MSU fans, so the goal of the day was to find white MSU gear in a town crazed about Sparty. A difficult task. Plus we wanted to get downtown early enough for a few pops before we took our seats. During our adventure for white apparel, we stumbled across a suit made of pure white gloriness. It was meant to be. Jimmy picked up the suit and it can only be explained in picture form:
((( Picture removed due to weird chinese suit site obsessing over Jimmy )))
If I (Rhett) were the Mayor of Hoop City, Jimmy is definitely the Colonel. Truly amazing, and an inspiration to us all.
#1 North Carolina vs #2 Michigan State – Well, lets just say this one was over early. North Carolina is fast, good, and fast. They are a gifted bunch. The Spartans were an inspiration for the weekend, and brought the city alive. Glad I can say I was a part of it. Of course, it’s always better to come out with the win. No need to look down on anything though. They’ll be back next year if a few breaks go their way. North Carolina shoots lights out, Michigan State tries to play catch up at the pace UNC favors, and the rest is history. Go Sparty, and thank you for taking the Trip to another level. Final Score: North Carolina 89, Michigan State 72.
