Road Trip Notes from an Old Tiger- Jacksonville-Round 2

Well Tigers, we’re still winning, and we have just lined up travel and tickets in DC next weekend. Here are my observations:

1. I am cancelling my upcoming scheduled stress test. There is no need to incur the expense- I just need to tell the doctor I have gone to all the basketball games, and he’ll know my heart can take just about anything. Geez!
2. We had some nose bleed tickets today, but scooted down to lower section mid court seats and luckily never had to move because of a late comer.
3. There was an incredible Tiger moment that I seriously doubt was picked up on the TV broadcast. We made a basket that brought our score to 44, and Maryland took a time out. Most of the Tiger fans in attendance looked up at the scoreboard and it sunk in that the score was set to Wayde’s jersey number. The Tiger faithful went crazy, and the kids in the huddle definitely picked up on it. Keep it going Tigers- they’ve got 5, but we’ve got 6!
4, When we were about to totally blow our lead, my sweet wife volunteered once again to shake things up and change our luck by going to the bathroom. This time it had no real impact on the game like it worked last time, but she gave it her all in the restroom.
5. Days definitely deserved more playing time and he helped out big time today.
6. I was going nuts when Maryland went to the zone and we continued to shoot 3’s without much success. If they were going to do that, I would love to have seen Graves in and let him have a chance to break the zone.
7. A Maryland fan next to me turned several times to me saying, “why in hell do they keep shooting outside? They need to go to the hoop and pound the boards.” I told him I wish I had a good answer, but it was baffling.
8. The Kentucky fans in the building were largely supportive of us, but not very vocal. They ended up absolutely having their hands full with Wofford, who would have beat them had their normal 3 point shooting continued into the second half.
9. Tre is a tremendous talent and can be frustrating as hell sometimes, but what a clutch ending.
10. With 2 minutes to go in the game, looking at our timeout huddle at our bench, I had to smile. Guess who was doing the talking? It wasn’t Tony Benford or any of the other assistants- it was a very vocal Skylar Mays. Thanks Skylar for your maturity, thanks for the great head on your shoulders, and thanks for your clutch play, especially at the foul line.
11. Just a great road trip all around. Food award this trip goes to “Back Forty Urban Cafe” in St. Augustine. Chicken pot pie to die for.
12. Funniest event this trip is a tie: (a) Emmitt takes out the guys on press row diving into the stands trying to save the ball. In the process he hits the large soft drink cup on the press table and coke flies up in the air and all over everyone. The replay was shown on the big screen in super slow motion and the crowd went crazy. (B) During the Belmont/Maryland game, the other games that were in action were shown on the big screen during timeouts. They showed the Auburn/NM State game that was a nail biter with only seconds left in regulation. Then, just when we were about to see the finish, the timeout ended and they cut the video feed. The crowd let out the loudest boo I’ve ever heard, and it happened just as both teams took the court. I bet the players had to be thinking, why is everybody booing both teams???
13. I don’t know what’s going to eventually happen regarding Will. I don’t know if we’ll finish running the table. I don’t know if it will be vacated if we do. But you know what? I wouldn’t trade the experience of following these young men and enjoying their grit and their desire to win.
Geaux Tigers!