A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words (Or However Many This Post Amounts To- Probably More Than That Due To My Affinity For Run-on Sentences And Parentheses)

So the last few days I've been getting a little bit more into March Madness mode- and as a result, I've been reminiscing more than usual about last year's tournament. (Side note: those are both lies. I've probably been in March Madness mode since mid-November, and it's not possible for me to reminisce about KU's title any more than I have the last 11 months. I've re-watched the championship game roughly 25 times; I've got the local radio broadcast of the game both on CD and on my iPod; and I recently shelled out 28 bucks for the previously unreleased Final Four game against Carolina, since my Final Four DVD only has an abbreviated version of that game.)

(Side note to the side note: what a bullshit rip job that DVD is. Yeah, it's awesome watching the title game over and over, but it advertises having "the COMPLETE Final Four" when, it actuality, it just has the complete championship game, abbreviated versions of both Final Four games, and some mediocre special features. Why not just eliminate the Memphis/UCLA game from the DVD and have the entire KU/Carolina game? What Memphis fan is buying this DVD anyway? "Hey, remember when we blew a 9 point lead with 2 minutes left and then our 3 best players left for the NBA? WHAT?!? You have the DVD? Well, quit holding out on me, let's pop that baby in!")

Annnnnyway, I hadn't seen this picture from last year's KU/North Carolina Final Four game until very recently. I'm assuming it was taken by Kyle's wife, and it's an instant classic. Besides the fact that this brings back a ton of great memories, there are other things about it that I love. Six, to be exact.

1. I've been trying to give some of my friends an idea on how crazy downtown Lawrence was during the Final Four, but it's tough to describe the chaos and energy unless you were there, or have been in a similar situation. This picture does a better job than I could: shoulder to shoulder throughout the whole place, every single person cheering for the same team. And keep in mind that we were at one of the "least crowded" bars downtown.

2. You can see me (on the far right) pitting out like it's my job. As previously mentioned, it was crowded as shit and extremely warm in there, and by the end of the game, my shirt was completely soaked through with a mixture of sweat and beer that people tossed in the air at the final buzzer. That's not really an excuse though, since just thinking about this game at any point during the six days prior made me break out into a ferocious sweat. The day of the championship game, it was even worse. One of my co-workers caught me under my desk with my shirt off, smoking 4 cigarettes at once, and it was only 9:15 in the morning. Anyway, I already use clinical strength deodorant, and if anyone else has any suggestions or tips, I'm all ears. (Besides pulling a Paul and wearing 4 undershirts at all times.)

3. Along those lines, I went and bought a new hat the day after this picture, since the one I was wearing was completely soaked with beer/sweat. After awhile, I kinda forgot about this hat, and kinda forgot why I stopped wearing it in the first place, so I gave it to my dad, who was in need of a new golf hat. He loves it, and apparently is able to overlook the fact that every time he tees off on the 1st hole, the rest of his foursome is undoubtedly wondering why he smells like Billy Bob Thornton after a three-day bender.

4. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before, but I still find it hilarious. Just before the game started, Lane pulls out this little dandy: "Cole Aldrich is going to end up being our most important player tonight. Maybe not most valuable, but definitely most important." Everybody dies laughing at the ridiculousness of that statement. Up to that point, Aldrich was your typical freshman: flashes of brilliance, long stretches of time where he didn't look like he had never played basketball in his life. In addition, he was KU's 8th man, averaging only about 9 minutes a game (even less than that in the tourney.) So to say he would have any real effect on this game was laughable.

Well, Aldrich came out of nowhere to put up 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks in 16 minutes, as well as out hustling the GREATEST HUSTLE PLAYER AND POSSIBLY THE GREATEST FUCKING BASKETBALL PLAYER IN HISTORY. Every time he made a great play, everyone in our area would immediately turn to Lane and high five him, head pat him, offer him a quick beejer, whatever.

And you can tell in this picture that Aldrich just did something awesome, as you can see Lane (in the very center with the Twins hat on) being offered a high five by Brad, getting pounded on the head by a stranger- and you can also see him pointing to himself in a manner that clearly says "I called this shit, bitch. And where's that BJ?"

5. It's weird that I seem to be enjoying myself in this picture. Granted, it was probably taken during KU's big run that opened up a 40-12 lead, but I would estimate that I spent upwards of 95% of this game either:

A) so stunned that KU was playing that well that I was unable to celebrate
B) screaming obscenities at either Hansbrough or Good Ol' Roy (or both simultaneously)
C) standing on a stool, telling everyone to calm down because Carolina was going to come back
D) watching Carolina come back and thinking about the quickest, most painless way to kill myself

It appears that this moment was captured during the other 5%.

6. Lastly, this is just a great picture. The way Laurel captured Kyle and I high-fiving each other over the crowd, she should get a Pulitzer for this photograph or something. Wait, what award do great photographers win? A Pulitzer? An Oscar? A fucking Emmy? Somebody help me out here.