| 06 April 2010
I don't think I could ask for much more yesterday. Not only did I get to experience my 4th Duke National Title and first in nine years, but before that heart attack of a game commenced I was also in Pittsburgh experiencing my first Opening Day.
It was kind of a unique experience to be overly excited about one thing beginning and one thing ending. My whole mind was focused on the national championship game until out of the blue on Easter my uncle asked me if I wanted to attend the Pirates opening day game against the Dodgers. Not only was it attending the game, but it was getting to experience the Lexus Club, free food and drinks, and leather seats that were 6 rows right behind home plate.
Pretty comfortable way to spend a baseball game if I have to say so myself.
The game was great, the Pirates won, and it was a beautiful day out. Great way to start the season, especially in Pittsburgh. After the game my mind was focused back on the Duke game.
I got back to Erie about quarter after 7pm and started getting prepared for the game. Put my white coinciding Duke shorts on, my Duke shirt on, and I put my phone to silence once the clock hit 8:30pm. I didn't want to be bothered; I've been waiting for this game for nine years and the last thing I needed was an annoying friend to bother me during this time.
As we all know the game was amazing! Both teams played such great basketball and the game was such a treat that I already want to watch it again. I was euphoric upon the victory. I basically just sat there with a smile on my face taking it all in. The cheering, the podium speech, the post-game press conferences; I even enjoyed One Shining Moment and I know most people hated it. I guess that's just one of the perks when your team wins the big one.
Before I went to sleep I reflected on the day and I realized how special it really was. Not only did two of my teams win today and my favorite sports team out of any just won the National Championship, but I got to experience the end of a season and the start of a new one. This is the greatest part of sports; we have so many opportunities to start anew and have hope again at the beginning of the season.
The Pirates have been terrible for seventeen years and I still keep watching. I don't watch for an individual player or hope someone hits a home run; I watch because I hope maybe this is the year that I will get to see something special from them.
It probably won't happen this year and probably not the year after that, but sometime in the future the Pirates will be good again and I will be ready for it. Every sports season is a journey we go through. Some journeys we want to forget like most of the Pirates seasons and some we want to cherish forever like Duke's past season.
The best part is that we get to go on a new journey every single year.
