Anyone who knows me at all knows that I am a College Basketball junkie.
I'm sure mostly it comes from being born and raised in Kentucky. I remember when Ann Marie and I started dating, my brother was still in High School and playing. I took her to her first HS game in Kentucky. Her words? "This is nuts!"
Since my birthday is today and it falls so close to the end of the NCAA tournament, a lot of significant things usually happen on or around it.
On March 28, 1992...right after my birthday dinner at my parents house, possibly the most famous shot in college basketball happened. In the Kentucky/Duke Regional Final. My Dad's words still ring in my ears. "That didn't count did it?" It counted and the "Unforgettables" were eliminated. Today, a member of that team, John Pelphrey is the Arkansas coach...and yes, Jim Ragsdale...tell the Hogs fans to hang in there...because he will bring that program back. The wins over Oklahoma and Texas were not flukes. John was raised right and he knows what he is doing.
March 27th, 1978..I got a birthday present early...we beat them Dukies for the National Championship in none other than St. Louis.
March 28th, 1996...at Griffin's in Cape Girardeau...I received a UK birthday party and a very nice cake from my friend John Wayne Guetterman...then on April 1st..Kentucky won it's 6th National Championship. A nice late present.
In 1997 at Port Cape...UK lost a double-overtime game to Arizona...the only thing keeping us from winning 3 National Championships back to back...because in 1998, we beat Duke in the Elite Eight and we won National Championship #7 on March 30th. A two day late present.
Yesterday...Kentucky fired it's Coach after two years...sad to see. But, hey...Kansas lost last night and Duke got beat.
But, I'm hoping today on March 28th for two great College Basketball Birthday presents.
#1-We get Billy Donovan or John Calipari to be the UK Head Coach.
#2-AND...Missouri goes to it's first ever Final Four!
As ZZ Top famously said...I'm not asking for much....Thanks for all the birthday wishes....UK...Get Billy D or Johnny C and Go Mike Anderson and The Tigers!