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How was it? I did not have the money to go, especially on such short notice. For those that did attend, what was it like. Was there any event or unique perspective that you really appreciatted.

From what I could see and hear on television, I was proud of how you all represented the rest of us. With such enthusiasm, costume, color, and noise. As the Utes jogged into the tunnel after the final game loss, it stirring to see U fans thank them with a wonderful round of applause and cheering.

Anyhow, what was your experience like at this fantastic event?

It was one of the most enjoyable weekends that I have ever spent, even with the all-nighter going and coming home. San Antonio is a great city, and coupling that with YOUR team being in the Final Four, it was a tremendous experience.

I think that the most impressive thing that struck me was the way in which the Utes were "adopted" by the whole country, and how people from all over were pulling for our team. Basketball junkies from all over America who go to the Final Four every year loved the fact that team full of white, slow, student-athletes was contending with the UNC's and Kentucky's of the world for the national championship. Numerous times people just walked up to us on the street and struck up a conversation, asking what a "Ute" is, talking about the team, and especially the coach. Basketball fans at the Final Four were in love with Rick.

Another thing that impressed people was the way the Britton handled the accusations by Ndiaye. I really got the impression that people are tired of the blue-chip filled, McDonald's All-American filled teams of players just waiting for the NBA draft to make them rich. It was refreshing to many that academic all-americans and just regular students could play so well fundamentally. To many it was like the old days, and they loved it.

The Ute team, administration, and fans did the University of Utah, the state of Utah and Salt Lake City proud. It was a great experience. I had to continually pinch myself to remind myself that "MY" Utes were playing for the national championship, and that I was there. It was a proud moment and we can all hold our heads high. Go Utes.

> How was it?

It was, like, awesome!

FlushBoy and I left Salt Lake Thursday night, stayed in Moab, drove all the way to Van Horn, Texas on Friday, then took off for San Antonio on Saturday. We rolled into town about 2 hours before gametime on Saturday.

We didn't even check into our rooms until after the Utes had spanked North Carolina. Fortunately, Flush's great aunt lives in San Antonio, so lodging for us was completely free! She even fed us!! It was great!

Sunday was cool as one of his cousins took us around San Antonio, down to the River Walk, to the Alamo, etc. We hung out on the River Walk for awhile and had a margarita or two and did some souvenier shopping.

Mingling with all the Kentucky Shee-yoots was the most interesting. They weren't anything like Jim Rome portrays them to be. Most were civilized people and very few had that suthern drawwl.

Monday was a horror. We had to kill the whole day before the game. We spent the morning at home, but just couldn't sit still any longer. The anticipation was killing us. We went back to the River Walk and had some more margaritas and even tried some jello shots. We wandered around the ESPN set and tried to find the Jim Rome set, but couldn't find it. We went to the same mexican restaurant three times for chips and salsa, and even ate at Hooters for lunch. That was before the evil that is Hooters infiltrated Midvale.

We talked it up with some more Kentuckians and endured a lot of sour looks from UNC fans. We even found that the Ute fans there were easy to talk to -- most unlike the fans you meet on campus. You ever tried to talk to your neighbor in the Huntsman Center? Most of the time they aren't interested. But the true-blue fans that made the trek were all chummy. It was like a brother/sisterhood.

Then came the game. Oh, what a riot that was. We were sooo damned far up there that we could barely see the action. ALL of the other schools had given their students the choice seats behind the bands. But not Utah, the biggest booster-pleasing school around. We were all packed in the upper, upper bowl.

The loss was very hard to take. There's nothing worse than losing the championship game (except maybe losing it to the Abominable Blue Kitties of the South). But these were the Abominable Blue Kitties of the East. And it was just as hard to swallow. Especially when there was a fat, sweaty, stinky Shee-yoot wearing blue, blue, and more blue whooping it up in OUR student section!! That was the worst.

We went back to the River Walk and drowned our sorrows in some Chinese food. We had to endure all the Shee-yoots who had piled into the boats and were floating up and down the river chanting "C-A-T-S, cats, cats, cats!"

It was sick! These bastards who had already won 8 or 9 championships had stolen perhaps our only shot at a real championship from us.

Tuesday morning we headed back toward Utah. We stayed in Gallup, NM, then made it all the way back to Salt Lake by Wednesday night. All in all, we lost 4 days of work and school, $500 each, and the national championship. But I would do it all over anytime.

-UtahBoy

Attending the Final Four was absolutely incredible. I have been a huge college hoops and Utes fan my entire life and have always wanted to attend the Final Four. I just never thought I would see the day when the Utes made it there. When it did happen this last year we figured it was just too good of an opportunity to pass up. The festival atmosphere of all of college basketball converging on San Antonio for one weekend was unbelievable.

Besides the excitement over the Utes success, the thing I most remember about the Final Four was watching Dickie V. walk past the Utah section before the start of the UNC game without even acknowledging the Ute fans. I watched him proceed past the Utah section and eventually take a seat right in the middle of the UNC section. I have never been a big Vitale fan for just that reason. The supposed voice of college basketball is just a glorified East Coast hoops cheerleader. Has Vitale ever called a Ute or WAC game for the matter? He would go a long ways to gaining some respect in my eyes if he came to SLC sometime to call a Ute game or two.

With the exception of the games, the best part for me was walking along the Riverwalk in my Ute t-shirt with three friends. We knew no one, but yet were everyone's friend. We high fived strangers and yelled "Go Utes" to everyone we passed wearing red. Even the fans from the other teams seemed to enjoy rooting for the Utes. It was unlike any experience I've had before. I felt like I was in the middle of Utah Nation. A truly awesome experience that I will never forget. The pictures, souveniers, and memories will last a long time. (At least until the next appearance in the Final Four!)

My thoughts were naturally mixed, stunned to finally get to go. But sad that it had to end. The other fans thought of us as a novelty, UK fans kept feeding us this B.S about how they were rooting for us. Pissed me off, as they just figured they could beat us easier than they could UNC. I've been sick of being 2nd tier for a long time, we still have to prove ourselves it seems. Beating AZ and UNC helped. GOD BLESS ANDRE! ( I was on the first row by the tunnel in front of Jack Gardner,...yes I'm damn lucky and I know it )We talked to some UK cheerleaders and they were oh so bitchy! They thought they were hot. Too much attitude. I also rememeber watching David Jackson getting in Jamison's face in the tunnel @ halftime. I think Jamison realized he wasn't going to intimidate us @ that point. Thanks, David. The two of them almost came to blows. I had reservations months in advance for Anaheim, and the vacation time sched a yr in adv ( GOTTA BELIEVE ) but I couldn't justify the risk on a plane tic to S.A. I had to buy some guys miles to get there. Well worth the exp. Everyone I talked to that had been to the F4 previousely, said S.A. was the best of all time. Did anyone draw out in the lotto for St. Pete ??? I sent $ 1200.00 for (6) entries . NO LUCK ! I'd crawl to Florida if I could see the Utes there.

To me, the most exciting sporting event in the spectator sports world is the Final Four--there is nothing quite like the excitement and intensity of being there before the first semifinal game, with all four schools' students, alumni and fans in their seats, fully decked out in their schools' regalia. In the Alamo Dome, with NC, KY, Stanford and the Utes, the lower level was divided among the four schools into two blue and two red symetrical segments. I grew up a passionate Utes fan, and as a teen was lucky enough to attend two Final Fours, in 1975 (Wooden's last title, in San Diego) and 1976 (Knight's first title, in Philly). I remember being so taken with the games, and thinking how great it would be if the Utes could make it just once in my lifetime.

After the Utes blew out AZ, I said that all I wanted was for them to show the world that they belonged in the Final Four; apart from that, win or lose, just the thrill of being there was enough. Well, the NC and KY games filled the bill to say the least. The highlight was hanging around in the arena after win over NC, photographing each other with the scoreboard in the background, etc., and all the Ute fans there together, basking in the great wire to wire win over the No. 1 team in the nation. It was like being in a dream. Later that night, it seemed everyone from the arena was at the River Walk, proudly wearing their school's colors, partying in the balmy, crowded and festive atmosphere. All in all, it was one of those pleasureful life experiences that more than lived up to expectations. I even enjoyed every minute of the Ky game.

> I even enjoyed every minute of the Ky game.

Are you kidding me? That was the most heart-wrenching thing I have ever experienced! My lovely wife recorded the game for me back in Salt Lake, and I still haven't been able to talk myself into watching the second half! I can't do it! I tried one night. I really, really tried, but I had to switch it off as soon as KY started making their move. It's just too hard.

I wonder how many of the players have been able to watch that game film yet? Anyone know?

Anyone who didn't enjoy EVERY MINUTE of the Utes battling KY down to the wire for the national title in front of a worldwide audience, at the pinnacle of the college basketball world, has an insufficient historical perspective and appreciation for just how rare and special it was for them to arrive at that point. Those Ute fans who didn't take full advantage of the moment may well not have another opportunity to do so in their lifetimes, regardless of age. The Utes' achievement in making it to the title game far exceeded Kentucky's, by the way. Remeber what AZ did to Stanford twice last year (two blowouts; AZ, the defending champ with everyone back, was ranked no. 2 and 17-1 in the Pac 10), and what NC did to Duke in the ACC title game (blowout; NC finished the regular season ranked no. 1)?

Anyone who has read my posts about McBride knows I have high standards, but I also know when to be very grateful and satisfied with what we've got.

It was hard to watch the lead slip away WHILE THE GAME WAS BEING PLAYED, but I pulled my tape of the game out 3 days later and I am really glad to have that tape.

I don't know about you Ancient, but I take it from SeattleUte's name that he's in Seattle. I don't know how many of you had season tickets last year and went to EVERY game, drove to Ogden to see the Weber St. game, drove to Provo to see the BYU game, and religiously watched EVERY Ute away game regardless of whether you were on a business trip or not! I don't know how many of you spent hours of your spare time producing web sites like mine and Matt's. I don't know how many of you were bitter enough to write Karl Benson about the Mugging of Andre Miller in the Pit. I don't know how many of you were so pissed about that that you had your letter published in the local newspapers for everybody to berate you about it. I don't know how many of you took 5 days off work and/or school, spent $500 dollars you didn't have and DROVE (not flew) to San Antonio to watch the Utes. I don't know how many of you were stuck in the upper, upper bowl of the Alamodome (where you could barely read the numbers on the jerseys). I don't know how many of you are Mormon, Catholic, Protestant, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, whatever, but the Runnin' Utes are my religion, and it HURT to be so damned close, only to be punked again by those freakin' Wildcats from Kentucky!!! Right now I HATE Kentucky more than BYU and that says a lot.

You can be proud of the Utes for their "once in a lifetime" shot at the title. I am also very proud of them for their accomplishment. But you cannot stop me from feeling an intense pain in my bosom whenever I flash back to those memories of all the blue-wearers in the building jumping up and down screaming like maniacs, while all the red-wearers in the building were standing there in disbelief with our mouhths hanging open, looking at each other, and all thinking, "Is it really over? Did we really lose?"

Like Ancient said, I, too, am glad I have a tape of the game. Unfortunately, my wife put it on EP and let it run thru the commercials, so my copy isn't all that great anyway.

Go Utes! UtahBoy

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