I've mentioned my Butler Bulldogs in a few posts. And yes, they are mine because that's how all Bulldogs feel about their basketball team. I had the pleasure to read a little 'note' on Facebook written this evening by one of my good friends and probably the biggest Butler fanatic that I know. As I read them, I shook my head in agreement. The road to this Final 4 has been paved by several years of hard work and dedication, not just by this year's team but by those who have paved the way ahead of them. Much how like a lot of things in life, someone has to set the precedent and set the example. Someone has to go before. There are wins and their are losses, but they are mere battles in a war. And while this is only a basketball game, I am from Indiana. There's no such thing as "just a basketball game."
So I am copying Dave's words here. I lived these games, too. He and I were in the same class so this is what I remember as my beginning in the world of Butler Basketball.
By Dave R.:
As my alma mater's men's basketball team prepares to compete for a national championship, in its hometown, I can't help but reflect back on the journey the program has taken since my freshman year in 1993 to now. I've been fortunate to tag along on a helluva ride.
* My first Butler game, a bus trip to Cincinnati to watch Butler face the Bearcats in the preseason NIT.
* My first game at Hinkle, when Butler knocked off IU. "Trice and Guice Put Indiana on Ice"
* Watching the team build and improve during my 4 years until...
* My first NCAA tournament game, senior year in 1997.
* Making the tournament in consecutive years in 1998.
* 2 Postseason NIT victories in 1999.
* The simultaneous euphoria and heartbreak of the Florida game in the 2000 tourney. If I never see a replay of Mike F. Miller again, it'll be too soon. But alas, even the sting of that shot was mollified by...
* Butler's win over Wake Forest in the 2001 tournament. 2 memories I'll never forget from that game: the complete bewilderment we all felt in the stands with Butler leading 43-10 at halftime, and the cheer from the crowd when the jumbotron showed Butler advancing to the next round.
* The pain of the 2002 "snub". Beating IU in the final "if we can't win then we'll take our ball and go home" Hoosier Classic.
* The 2003 Sweet Sixteen run. Sheets' game-winner over UWM. JC reminding the media that "we are still here." You're damn right we were.
* Rebuilding through 2004-2005 and getting back to the postseason with a 2006 NIT win.
* The 2007 Sweet Sixteen run. Wins over Notre Dame, IU and Purdue. Preseason NIT championship. Giving Florida everything they could handle.
* 2008 Round of 32. A 7 seed and the first-ever meeting of 2 30-win teams in the 2nd round. Thanks, selection committee.
* The "rebuilding" year in 2009 that turned into another NCAA tourney appearance.
And now, a Final Four appearance, an unprecedented national spotlight, and a chance for the University to shine brightly beneath it.
I just want to say to all the players, coaches, and staff who had a role in building this program to its current level:
THANK YOU.
This week is as much about you all as it is the team currently preparing for Michigan State. You laid the foundation. You showed the way. You raised expectations. And you brought us all along for the ride. So thank you. Enjoy this weekend, and know that it couldn't have happened without you.
GO DAWGS!Thanks, Dave, for the trip down memory lane. And thanks for thanking those men that showed our current team The Butler Way.
I know I'll be shouting at my TV on Saturday evening wishing with my whole being that I could be in Indianapolis to root the team on in person. I know that my friends will be there doing a great job for me.
In honor of that and to share my Butler Spirit with my kids, I made them shirts. :) Ian is excited. He goes around telling people about the Butler Bulldog on my shirts. Now he can have his own!
