The 2010 NCAA Tournament was shaping up very well for my Michigan State Spartans, who were a #5 seed in the tournament. They squeaked by Tennessee in the Elite 8 to make yet another appearance in the NCAA Final Four. They would now face off against a giant underdog, the Butler Bulldogs for a spot in the National Championship game.
Living in Peoria, Illinois at the time, I decided I would buy tickets for the National Championship game in Indianapolis, Indiana. After witnessing Michigan State losing in the National Championship game the previous year, I was betting on them to win it all this year. I purchased two tickets so I could bring my college friend Klint along with me, and I anxiously watched the first game of the Final Four on television to see if the Spartans would advance.
Unfortunately for me and other Michigan State fans, Butler pulled off the upset by the score of 52-50, and would now be moving on to face Duke University for the title.
Thank you for joining me as I detail #3 on my list of the ten greatest games I've ever attended. If you're new to this series, welcome! Please read the previous posts here:
#10. 2006 NHL Playoffs Edmonton vs. Detroit Game 1
#8. ND @ MSU Football, 9/23/2006
#5. Detroit Tigers vs. Cincinnati Reds 5/20/2006
#4. 2008 NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional
Now let's dive into the 2010 NCAA National Championship. I'll then briefly cover my experience.
The Game
The Duke Blue Devils came into the game as 7-point favorites, which is a large spread for a National Championship game. No one really gave Butler a chance other than the fans in attendance. Butler had the advantage of playing in their backyard, just a few miles away from where their university is located.
Klint and I decided to root for the Butler Bulldogs to pull off the upset, and it didn't take long to feel like an actual fan of their team as the crowd's excitement rubbed off on us.
The Bulldogs were led by Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack, both now play in the NBA. Hayward was the focus for the Blue Devils' defense, and they were able to hold him to just 2-11 shooting from the field. The rest of the team stepped up for the Bulldogs as they battled back and forth with the superior Duke team for the entire game. With just under 4 seconds left in the game, Duke had a chance to go ahead by 3 from the free throw line.
The free throw attempt was missed, Butler gathered the rebound, and then Hayward took the ball to half court to heave up a desperation shot that would have won the game (watch in the video above).
The final shot came just inches short of completing one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history. This also would have made for the greatest finish in the history of college basketball in my opinion.
My Experience
My Michigan State Spartans losing in the semifinals was disappointing, but that wasn't going to stop me and Klint from having a good time. We drove to Indianapolis a few hours early to enjoy some of the festivities around the game.
If you ever get the chance to attend the Final Four, I would highly recommend it, and make sure to meet famous athletes and have fun participating in all of the events organizers arrange for fans during the 3-day event.
Pictured above, I got the chance to meet and get an autograph from North Carolina legend Bob McAdoo, who couldn't be nicer. I then walked by the former Duke basketball player and current ESPN analyst Jay Bilas.
His autograph session was wrapping up, and the man standing next to him (I'm assuming was either his bodyguard or assistant) said "alright, that's it, Mr Bilas has to leave." Bilas stood up and began walking behind the bodyguard, and then he stopped. Bilas saw several children still standing near the velvet rope outside of where his table was located, so he ignored the bodyguard and continued to sign autographs. It was heartwarming to see, and I will always respect Bilas for taking additional time to sign autographs for kids even when it was time to leave.
After the game was over, it was time to make the long drive back to Peoria. The drive, which took around three and a half hours, was possibly the most draining drive of my life. I was already tired after the game ended and we found my car at around 11:30 PM, and traffic prevented us from reaching the highway until well after midnight. I was scheduled to work the next day at 7:15 AM, but I was just worried about making it home safely at this point.
I had to make several stops on the side of the road in order to try to wake myself up. Thankfully, I made it back safe. I don't plan on making this type of late night drive ever again.
Oh, and I slept through my alarm the next day and missed the first half of my shift. I still kept my job, but it didn't please my boss very mush.
There are only two events left on my list of the top 10 sporting events I've ever attended. Thank you for following along with my journey!
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