40 years ago today Marquette won the National Title

[Macallan 18]

40 years ago today Marquette cut down the nets at the Omni in Atlanta as NCAA champions.

Milwaukee Magazine had a blurb this month about a speech Henry S. Reuss added to the U.S. Congress proceedings to celebrate the victory. It is reproduced below in honor of the occasion.


A Championship for Marquette and Al McGuire
by Representative Henry S. Reuss

Mr. Speaker,

I want to share with my colleagues the jubilation of my district over the victory last night of the Marquette Warriors basketball team in the finals of the National Collegiate Athletic Association championship in Atlanta. I would also like to express my pride and admiration - and that of my constituents - for Mr. Al McGuire, who will now retire as coach of the Warriors after 13 great seasons.

My Milwaukee office reports that Wisconsin Avenue - the city's main street - was jammed last night with celebrators for the 3 miles between 16th Street and Lake Michigan. One staffer says that she was hugged several times by total strangers. There are also unconfirmed reports of beer flowing in Milwaukee houses of refreshment at great discounts,
and vigorously increased volumes.

For the last 10 years, Al McGuire has been taking his strong Marquette teams to post season tournaments. Now, at last, the Warriors won the national championship, and Milwaukee went wild with joy. It was fitting that the team should win the championship in Mr. McGuire's last season.

The national press, which gets to see Mr. McGuire only around this time every year, paints him the iconoclast and bad boy of college basketball - a position he likes.

These members of the national press, however, have not seen the strong respect in which Mr. McGuire is held in the community of Milwaukee. And they cannot see up close, as we see in Milwaukee, the superb work of education and guidance he gives to the young members of his teams.

For all the shouting and press fireworks, there is a real sense of love on Mr. McGuire's teams and a feeling that the youngsters who come to Marquette at the ages of 17 and 18 draw real guidance and purpose from their years with him. For all the winning, and all the brillant strategy of Mr. McGuire's games - I direct my colleagues' attention to the way he handled the vaunted Carolina four-corner offense - he is above all an excellent teacher, and an excellent example to young men who strive to be best.

My special congratulations to Al, and to Hank Raymonds, who will step into his shoes next year. And I congratulate the entire Marquette basketball team: Bo Ellis, Bill Neary, Jerome Whitehead, Butch Lee, and Jim Boylan; Gary Rosenberger, Bernard Toone, Ulice Payne, Robert Byrd, Craig Butrym, Jim Dudley, and Mark Lavin.

[Nukem2]

Had a great time at the Omni in Atlanta that night.  Seems like yesterday. 

[GooooMarquette]

Had a great time at the Omni in Atlanta that night.  Seems like yesterday. 

Ditto.  What an amazing memory.  Still have my ticket stubs from the FF.

[Sir Lawrence]

It was my freshman year at Marquette.  It sure would be nice to get back to that promised land again.....

[Dawson Rental]

Boy, those Kansas State and Charlotte games were nail biters.  Checking the scores reminded me how much Marquette relied on defense to win under McGuire.  I remember the pubs I was at for both and the dorm room were I saw the title game.

[MU82]

I was a 16-year-old high school junior in Connecticut. I watched the game on my parents' crappy TV and said, "Al seems like a cool dude. Now where's Marquette?"

About a year later, after learning where Marquette was, I decided to go - sight unseen. (Kids: that's the way we oldsters often rolled.)

If not for Warriors basketball, I probably still would never have been to Milwaukee, and my life would have been all together different.

Since I love my life, all I can say is:

Thanks, Warriors! Glad you were No. 1, and may you get there again someday!

[CTWarrior]

I was a 16-year-old high school junior in Connecticut. I watched the game on my parents' crappy TV and said, "Al seems like a cool dude. Now where's Marquette?"

About a year later, after learning where Marquette was, I decided to go - sight unseen. (Kids: that's the way we oldsters often rolled.)

If not for Warriors basketball, I probably still would never have been to Milwaukee, and my life would have been all together different.

Since I love my life, all I can say is:

Thanks, Warriors! Glad you were No. 1, and may you get there again someday!

Change 16 year old junior to 15 year old sophomore and my story is identical!

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

I was a 16-year-old high school junior in Connecticut. I watched the game on my parents' crappy TV and said, "Al seems like a cool dude. Now where's Marquette?"

About a year later, after learning where Marquette was, I decided to go - sight unseen. (Kids: that's the way we oldsters often rolled.)

If not for Warriors basketball, I probably still would never have been to Milwaukee, and my life would have been all together different.

Since I love my life, all I can say is:

Thanks, Warriors! Glad you were No. 1, and may you get there again someday!

Change to 8-year old watching basketball with my dad.

[willie warrior]

I love Reuss' comments about beer flowing at discounted prices in vigorous volumes. Now that says quite a bit for Milwaukee and Wisconsin.

[The Lens]

I was a 16-year-old high school junior in Connecticut. I watched the game on my parents' crappy TV and said, "Al seems like a cool dude. Now where's Marquette?"

About a year later, after learning where Marquette was, I decided to go - sight unseen. (Kids: that's the way we oldsters often rolled.)

If not for Warriors basketball, I probably still would never have been to Milwaukee, and my life would have been all together different.

You mean you and your parents didn't tour 3 times and complain the Rec Center and McCormick aren't nice enough?

[Earl Tatum]

YEP! Full-court pass to Whitehead to win Charlotte game and MU
being patient with Dean Smith's 4-corner offense. It was the Butch,
Bo and Bernard show over Phil Ford and O'Koren.

[Tums Festival]

Was 13 and watched the game at home (it was a school night after all) and was pulling for Marquette big time.

Fast forward to the Saturday after the title game. Watching AWA All-Star Wrestling and The Crusher gives an interview wearing a Marquette t-shirt saying he hasn't stopping drinking beers since Monday night. Classic.

Two of my earliest, and fondest, MU memories.

[Nukem2]

Ditto.  What an amazing memory.  Still have my ticket stubs from the FF.

Stil have mine as well as the program book.

[Rudy]

14 year old who was shipped off to a non fan's house for the Final Four when the rest of my family went to the Omni. I went outside and yelled at the top of my lungs. Thank God one of the neighbor kids was also a fan and knew me. He came out and we played one on one for hours. I was Bo Ellis and he was Butch Lee that day.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I was a 16-year-old high school junior in Connecticut. I watched the game on my parents' crappy TV and said, "Al seems like a cool dude. Now where's Marquette?"

About a year later, after learning where Marquette was, I decided to go - sight unseen. (Kids: that's the way we oldsters often rolled.)

If not for Warriors basketball, I probably still would never have been to Milwaukee, and my life would have been all together different.

Since I love my life, all I can say is:

Thanks, Warriors! Glad you were No. 1, and may you get there again someday!

That's my story too 82! Well....it's my dad's story.....and he was in 8th grade....

Just giving you and my other favorite old timers a hard time

[Daniel]

Well. The Sunday before the big game, a couple of friends of mine and I were in a bar in Milwaukee for their double-bubble hour.  We were poor grad students.  And drunk grad students. So at about 11:30pm we decided we should try to fly to Atlanta.  No flights.  But one from Chicago leaving at 1:30am.  So, we raced to Chicago straight from 5 hours in the bar.  No money, nothing. 

Charged the flight with money we didn't have. Still remember it was $116 round trip.  Got to Atlanta, walked all around the Omni, got in there and wow - we will be playing for the National Championship that night, right here! 

Could not find any tix we could afford.  Period.   Flew home and watched it in TV!   

[94Warrior]

One day after my 5th birthday, and I don't remember sh1t.  I did run down Wisconsin Ave after beating Kentucky in '94 though.  Beer was flowing freely at discounted prices that night, too.

[Goose]

Some great stories, fella's. Was a night that many will never forget. Especially love the going to MU sight unseen stories.

I was lucky to take a campus tour at Sir Lawrence's apartment in his post grad years. Without that visit I might have ended up at Harvard.

[Earl Tatum]

Driving from Central Wisconsin 2x a year (200 miles) to MU and Buck
games. The only year of 20, we did not go to a MU game. Dam.

[mu-rara]

Junior in HS, working in a grocery store.  Had to listen to all the NCAA games on the radio.

Skipped school the next day with a friend to attend the parade.  Got to shake hands with Craig Butrym as he went by. Woo hoo.

Both of us ended up going to MU.  Coincidence?  I think not.

[real chili 83]

That's my story too 82! Well....it's my dad's story.....and he was in 8th grade....

Just giving you and my other favorite old timers a hard time

F, now that makes me feel old.

[Newsdreams]

F, now that makes me feel old.

We old Chili

[dajudge]

Junior in law school (I know they are called 2-Ls now)
If Professors Aiken, Ghiardi and Kircher knew I was at the Omni they probably would have flunked me out!!!

[Nukem2]

Junior in law school (I know they are called 2-Ls now)
If Professors Aiken, Ghiardi and Kircher knew I was at the Omni they probably would have flunked me out!!!

yah, my brother in dental school was with me that weekend.

[Sir Lawrence]

Some great stories, fella's. Was a night that many will never forget. Especially love the going to MU sight unseen stories.

I was lucky to take a campus tour at Sir Lawrence's apartment in his post grad years. Without that visit I might have ended up at Harvard.

You emptied the keg, if memory serves me.