I'm just curious to see what you all were doing during the elite 8 game against Kentucky. I was only 10 at the time and that happened to be my first memory of MU. I was really upset because they busted my bracket but just wanted to know what the reaction was to those on campus or at the game.
Sitting in a bar in downtown West Palm Beach after Sunfest (smaller version of Summerfest here). Ended up sitting next to a KY fan. What a sweet game. I remember waiting until there was less than 2 minutes left in the game before calling for airplane tickets to New Orleans.
I was a junior at the time, lived in an apartment on 15th street. We had a keg party to watch the game and for afterwards. As soon as the game ended, everyone poured out of the nearby houses and apartments and ran out on to wells street. It was a mob scene there for a few minutes.
After what couldn't have been more than a few minutes some more people showed up and an impromptu parade down Wisconsin ave started. It went all the way to the lake. Traffic was stopped but just about everyone was honking their horns and hanging out of their cars in celebration.
I have no idea how long it took to get here and back, but eventually my group made it home. The parties on campus resumed for a few more hours. The team arrived back on campus that night and we went over to the rec center area to greet the bus.
It was bedlam after that and to be honest, things are a bit fuzzy for the rest of the night. I do distinctly remember a few players were behind the bar at Murphy's handing out drinks.
It was awesome.
Watching with other MU alums and their families at one of their houses. Not ashamed to say I cried at the end.
Nice
Was at Palm Desert, CA on vacation. Had made the plans long in advance and was disappointed to not be able to go to twin cities. I had been to Indianapolis the weekend before to watch two epic games for MU to advance.
As with others for sure called to get palne tickets shortly after game. Tickets to NO went from like $300 to $900 immeditely after the game from either Milwaukee or Chicago. Flew to Pensacola, for very cheap IIRC on Southwest and rented a car, drove to NO, hitting casinos and bathrooms on the way.
Saw Crean in the lobby shortly before the game he was emotionally drained looked like a terminal cancer patient days before death. on that moment I knew we were dead, a team takes on the character and emotion of his coach. Our coach was panicked and completely psyched out, a few hours later and minutes after tip off it was all over. Our team had followed the lead of our coach and shat the bed!
Watched the game from the Metrodome's "student section," third row behind the basket. Everything after that is pretty much a blur.
Before the game, I recall seeing Scott Walker (who was county exec at the time) at the alumni gathering at the Crowne Plaza. The reason I remember that part is because my buddy - who had started a couple hours earlier than me - told me who he was no fewer than 3-4 times. At some point, that led to a diatribe about "the damn bird" and the nickname ordeal which eventually culminated with him observing that the free MU buttons being passed out had a silhouette of the golden eagle, at which point he frisbee'd the one he'd been wearing across the room.
I also recall while eating pizza at halftime, the general consensus amongst our group of four was that we couldn't believe how well MU was playing, and we were hoping our guys could at least keep it close until the end. Some of us - myself included - didn't even realize how badly injured Bogans was until someone pointed out that he barely played 10 minutes of the first half... at that point, the sentiment turned from cautious hope to "we're going to f__ing crush these guys!" And so it happened.
Later that night, I vaguely remember being in a bar that was busting at the seams with MU faithful where everyone was chanting "f___ Kansas" everytime their highlights came up on screen. I don't know if my mind was playing tricks on me, but I could have sworn that a couple walked into that bar with KU sweatshirts on at one point... not sure what happened to them.
This is the mobile link (not sure if it'll work) to a video that was made about it but it seems to sum it up. I was in MKE visiting my sister and had no idea what was going on but it was pretty cool to see
http://youtu.be/rs26f83ie_8
crean fooked up a wet dream
That's a great memory! I was a senior and watched the game at Caffrey's. It was pretty incredible, we couldn't believe everything was going so well. Then afterwards everybody streamed out into the streets, at the corner of 16th and Wells. At some point someone started running. I didn't know where they were going but I ran along with a few buddies. They turned onto Wisconsin and ran all the way downtown, I had no idea if there was someone up front with a plan or if this was just random mob behavior but I followed along. Eventually we got down to the lakefront, near that funky statue, where people stopped and did some cheering and then the crowd broke up. We didn't feel like walking all the way back right away so we bar-hopped back to campus.
With Mrs. Legs (MU alum), sister Legs (also MU alum) and her husband and my parents at home. What a rare joy--to watch the last 5 plus minutes of a game without the usual dread; instead, watching delirious with certainty of victory and the Final Four.
I was a freshman in high school watching it at my house with my family. My brother was a freshman at MU that year so that season was beginning of my love for Marquette.
Bagpiper, good find on that video.
The Kentucky game of March 2003. --- I had a 2 year daughter and another 3 week old newborn daughter at the time. And I was in the middle of a big home addition simultaneously where my contractor was already 3 months behind and counting. (He wouldn't finish for another 4 months later.) I took a break from my daily house painting to eat and watch the game.
I was a Freshman and watched the game on the fifth floor in McCormick. We had about 9 people crammed into one of those little rooms if I recall correctly, and by the middle of the second half, we were staring at each other in disbelief. After the game we lost our damn minds and people were screaming in the halls.
We saw the crowd start to assemble at 16th and Wells outside of Angelo's (Now Sobelman's @ Marquette for you younguns), and sprinted downstairs to join the jumping mass of humanity which then took off down Wells, crossed over to Wisconsin Ave at Schroeder Field, and then ran all to the lake, with kids climbing light poles and statues everywhere. Helicopters were flying overhead and cops were blocking off traffic and high fiving us. For some reason I remember someone leading the chanting portion of Ring Out playing an airhorn or a duck call or something. The party continued at the Lake for the better part of several hours. Just pure delirium. Part of me regretted not taking the chance to go up to Minneapolis for the game, but running to the lake that day with my friends was one of my best college memories from my time at Marquette.
Quote from: chitownwarrior2011 on September 08, 2014, 02:39:35 PM
I'm just curious to see what you all were doing during the elite 8 game against Kentucky. I was only 10 at the time and that happened to be my first memory of MU. I was really upset because they busted my bracket but just wanted to know what the reaction was to those on campus or at the game.
Watched the game in So. Cal. It was surreal that we kicked the crap out of them as much as we did.
Next night, went to opening day for the Angels as they raised the World Series flag and gave out the rings. Ran into several Angels fans at the stadium sporting Marquette stuff. It was a very good weekend to be a Marquette and Angels fan to say the least.
Immediately traded in American Airlines miles and grabbed a flight from L.A. to New Orleans on that Friday. Met some MU buddies of mine in N.O. where I crashed at their hotel. Bro In Law came from Denver, but he had to fly to Houston and then drive over as no flights were available.
Watched the game with my 2 month old son. Spent a good portion of the first half cleaning him up after he had a blow out.
Incidentlly last night at a basketball workout (in the house that Sam Dekker built) he wore my Nike Air Max that the 2003 team wore.
Quote from: Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup on September 08, 2014, 03:30:47 PM
...and then ran all to the lake, with kids climbing light poles and statues everywhere. Helicopters were flying overhead and cops were blocking off traffic and high fiving us. For some reason I remember someone leading the chanting portion of Ring Out playing an airhorn or a duck call or something. The party continued at the Lake for the better part of several hours. Just pure delirium.
That's a perfect way to describe it. Everyone was into it, from the cops blocking off streets to the people driving to wherever they were trying to go in their cars. They were stopped dead in traffic but even they seemed happy to be there. Some people were even standing on top of their cars and cheering. People were climbing trees, light poles, statues. It was as close to a riot as I'd care to experience, but it was pure joy. Everyone was so happy.
Went to Indy and Minny without my wife. Of course it was all guys weekends anyway.
Call her on the way home from Minny and ask her if she wants to go to NO. Of course she wants to go.
So we go to NO with a lot of our friends (this time the wives want to go, figure that). 6 or 7 of our then 5th grade daughters class had parents in NO. Many other friends from hometown along with roommates and friends from MU were their too. Great time.
I was a senior in HS, and took a last-minute trip to Minneapolis with my neighbor and two other alums. We got seats from a Pitt fan that were 10 rows behind the MU bench. We all had a good feeling going in, after seeing UK look unconvincing against Wisconsin on Thursday, but nobody expected that.
It was an incredible thing to be a part of, and one of the best days of my life.
At the game in MPLS. High schooler at the time. Marquette runs in the family, so I was already fully entrenched in my fandom. Remains one of the best days of my life.
I live just an hour from Minneapolis, so I was easily able to attend both the Pitt and UK games for little more than the cost of tickets and about a tank of gas - no need for hotels or much else. Overall, the cheapest - and one of the best - MU tournament games I've ever attended.
We attended the pregame sendoff at the team hotel. Since it was several floors down from the ballroom to street level and I wanted to get out and to the Metrodome asap afterwards, we were standing right next to an exit stairwell so we didn't have to wait for an elevator. It turned out that the team had also decided to go down that stairwell to get to the team bus in the parking garage, so I was the last person to high five the players on their way out.
I remember sitting in the stands - lower level corner - dreading the big UK rally that never came. At halftime, I just looked at my wife and said "I can't believe we may actually be 20 minutes away from the Final Four." Having attended the 1977 Final Four and then living through the Dukiet years, I honestly believed we'd never be back.
Afterwards, I just remember sitting on the floor of the ballroom of the team hotel - exhausted - unable to comprehend that we were actually going back to the Final Four.
Quote from: THRILLHO on September 08, 2014, 03:18:52 PM
That's a great memory! I was a senior and watched the game at Caffrey's. It was pretty incredible, we couldn't believe everything was going so well. Then afterwards everybody streamed out into the streets, at the corner of 16th and Wells. At some point someone started running. I didn't know where they were going but I ran along with a few buddies. They turned onto Wisconsin and ran all the way downtown, I had no idea if there was someone up front with a plan or if this was just random mob behavior but I followed along. Eventually we got down to the lakefront, near that funky statue, where people stopped and did some cheering and then the crowd broke up. We didn't feel like walking all the way back right away so we bar-hopped back to campus.
I have the same story, but I was at Murph's.
I remember keg-stands in the middle of 16th and Wells. I was completely soaked in beer because people chucked beers into the air at Murphs after ever big play. My hand stung pretty bad from all of the high-fives that afternoon/evening.
Running down to the lake seemed like a good idea until you sober up halfway through the jog down there. We got to the lake with a distinct sense of "now what?" The Phister was not ready for that many drunk, sweaty Marquette kids to pile into their lobby for a bathroom break, that's for sure!
I was in the middle of an SAP implementation working 7 days a week 14-15 hour days, with the system going live the following Monday. Left the office to go home and watch the game against Kentucky. Had a celebratory beer with the Mrs and went back to work for another 8 hours with a (expletive deleted) eating grin on my face.
My first day off in a month was the game against Kansas, which I watched from my sister's house while at my nephew's birthday party. I would've rather worked another 14 hour day than watch that.
I was a sophomore at the time and was sitting in the nosebleeds of the Metrodome for the game. A group of us had bought tickets after the Sweet Sixteen game and drove up on Saturday morning. I remember calling my parent's halftime and telling my dad that "I don't want to say what I think might happen, but I really think it'll happen." He promptly told me that he and I my mom were already online looking at flights to New Orleans. I didn't want to jinx anything so I told them not to buy any tickets yet and wait until the game is over. I believe that they pulled the trigger on the tickets just before the game ended.
Stayed at a friends parent's house w/ about 15 others that night and had a great time celebrating.
I also remember stopping at a KFC buffet somewhere in Wisconsin on the drive home and there had to been about 25 - 50 other Marquette students stopping there at the same time. Apparently we weren't the only ones who thought fried chicken sounded like a great hangover cure.
I was 14 at the time. Being the child of two Warriors who grew up in St. Paul. We were of course at the game. My dad sprung for lower bowl tickets. The crowd surrounding us exploded with every big play. I remember being in state of pure joy when Wade got the "send it in, medium size fella" dunk. I knew we were going to win. My dad kept telling me not to jinx it, but I didn't care. That game was ours.
Definitely my favorite MU memory.
Sitting in the upper deck...had the tickets before MU was seeded there... Never forget it. Never.
Watched at the Schoolyard Tavern in Chicago. The whole bar knew the game was over after Wade's dunk with about 9 minutes left and from there on out it was pure, drunken joy. As we know, Marquette fans can put a few drinks down and I'm a nervous drinker before and during big games so the rest of the afternoon/evening is a bit of haze. Rented a mini-van with about 6-7 others and drove to Orleans a few days later because of the flight prices. New Orleans was a great time although I've blocked the Kansas game from my memory.
Can't wait to experience it once more WHEN we go to the Final Four again in the future.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlymqXcruCU
I watched at home. It was Marquette's most perfect game in recent times; then we pooped our pants against Kansas. Of course my most memorable year is 1977 followed by 1970 when we told the NCAA to go fly a kite and went on to win the NIT when it was still a premier post season tournament. Watching us shut down Pistol Pete and score a 100+ points in the semi-final was a site to behold.
Quote from: muwarrior69 on September 08, 2014, 05:11:02 PM
I watched at home. It was Marquette's most perfect game in recent times; then we pooped our pants against Kansas. Of course my most memorable year is 1977 followed by 1970 when we told the NCAA to go fly a kite and went on to win the NIT when it was still a premier post season tournament. Watching us shut down Pistol Pete and score a 100+ points in the semi-final was a site to behold.
Beating Kentucky in 69 in Madison in the semi's, never heard the field house more jacked, the North vs. the South, Issel, Pratt, Casy and the bigot Rupp. Can somebody ever explain how
Thomas Payne, first black for Rupp, went there, still confused? Purdue loss in overtime was worse then the Kansas loss.
I was in grad school at the time. I was coming home from a Vegas weekend and had a layover in Minneapolis, so I skipped the last leg of my flight and went to the game. Sat in the upperdeck of the Metrodome, and had one Kentucky fan in our section. They left our section after the half. Got back to school and had to tell my grad adviser I was taking off for New Orleans the next week.
Quote from: mu-rara on September 08, 2014, 03:47:05 PM
Went to Indy and Minny without my wife. Of course it was all guys weekends anyway.
Same here. Got tickets from Pittsburgh, ironically.
My children spent the weekend with their grandparents near Duluth. I went with my bro-in-law and sister.
Had three phone calls about New Orleans between the end of the game and my car just outside the Metrodome but thought the better of it.
Ms. Dgies was not in the mood for yet another husbandless, "I get the kids by myself" weekend.
Besides, you somehow knew our Warriors were living on borrowed time after what they did to Kentucky.
I'm an old geezer so I wasn't in my dorm watching the game, did that in 77. I was in Ft. Lauderdale on vacation and went to some local tavern near the beach (not the elbow room) and was over served. I was sitting next to a Kentucky fan at the bar who was actually very nice but it was still fun gloating late in the second half. I thankfully walked or more accurately stumbled back to the hotel and sat up fr hours reading message boards and everything I could find about the game.
I was in Indy. The Holy Cross game was gut-wrenching. I actually had to walk out of the seating section of the arena and wander the corridor for a few minutes because I couldn't take it. My friends still give me $hit for doing that. Thankfully, Diener saved us. Then the Mizzou game ... what an effen thrill.
My main memory of the Kentucky game is that I could have gone to it (and the Pitt game) but I passed because it would have been mildly inconvenient for me. To this day, I regret not having been at the Humptydome for that game.
My son (who was then 15) and I were going to go to an establishment in Chicago to watch it but waited too long and the line was out the door, so we turned around and went home to watch on our TV. I didn't get the great communal feeling that so many did, but I was still a happy camper.
I was at the Superdome for the FF. Practically by the time I got to my section, we were down, what, 97-0? It was still cool to make the Final Four.
Damn ... I wish this thread hadn't been started. I'm pissed at myself all over again for not going to Minny!!
Two years ago, when the Warriors were in DC for the S16/E8, my wife and I went on the spur of the moment. I said, "I'm not gonna miss another net-cutting!" We were loving the Miami game ... and then loving the sight of Indiana getting stomped ... but the Syracuse game, not so much!
We'll be there for when Henry and Haanif cut down the nets in 2017!! (Trying to be realistic by saying it'll happen their soph season.)
I was there with my old man about 30 rows up. I remember in the middle of the game when Wade hit his 2nd 3 ball looking at my dad and said "He's gone after this year" I was also looking for Ashley Judd all game, because she's a fox.
Attended the Holy Cross/Mizzou games @ the RCA Dome in Indy. Watched the Pitt game with friends at a bar in Chicago. Woke up Friday morning following the Pitt win, and promptly rented a 40' RV to drive 10 of my MU buddies to Minny for the UK game.
My buddy's aunt had passed away shortly before the trip, leaving him $10K. Visited Cruisin' Chubbies Gentleman's Club (outside of the Wisconsin Dells) on Friday night, where my buddy greeted us all at the front door with spending money. He basically blew through much of his inheritance before we crossed state lines. Such a glorious trip.
Hired drivers and had two rv's take 20 of my friends down to NOLA.
2003 will forever be etched in my memory.
Had great seats at the Metrodome. Some memories:
- Sitting around a lot of Kentucky fans who were simply stunned
- Badgers fans in attendance actually cheering for Marquette
- Going to the team hotel after and the smile on Novak's face was infectious
Quote from: CTWarrior on September 08, 2014, 03:54:06 PM
I was in the middle of an SAP implementation working 7 days a week 14-15 hour days, with the system going live the following Monday. Left the office to go home and watch the game against Kentucky. Had a celebratory beer with the Mrs and went back to work for another 8 hours with a (expletive deleted) eating grin on my face.
My first day off in a month was the game against Kansas, which I watched from my sister's house while at my nephew's birthday party. I would've rather worked another 14 hour day than watch that.
SAP Implementation - I remember when my employer at the time switched to it right about 2003. Ehhh man, what a nightmare. I felt bad for the people on the conversion team.
I was not planning on going, but a big Badger booster who had recently sold me his house gave me his tickets at face value after UW lost to Kentucky. He had a guest bedroom that was all decked out in Bucky and I told him I got sick when I walked in there and it started from there. Lots of banter, but it was really cool of him to give me the tickets. Great seats. We sat next to the Reuters photographer who sent us some great pictures afterward.
At the end of the game, I ripped the Kentucky sign off the wall and had the whole team sign it, plus Hank Raymonds, Mark Marotta, Jon Harris, Rob Harris (Jon's brother...nice guy), George Thompson, Father Wilde and more. I have this sign hanging on the wall of my bar.
Watched it in the Metrodome and remember the crowd, as the game went on, from being fairly neutral to turning into a full blown home court advantage in the second half. When Wade dunked as we started to pull away the place just erupted. Then once the game was over I just stood there in a semi state of shock in realizing we are going to the Final 4! and just stood there and soaked it all in. Then proceeded to celebrate in Minneapolis. Ran into so many random Marquette fans on the street that night.