Sunday, March 22, 2009

Live from Miami

Hi from South Florida!  My brother and I have just returned from the last two games of the second round action in Miami.   It was an absolute blast.  We watched two really exciting games, after which the Syracuse Orangemen and the Arizona Wildcats each had earned a berth to the Sweet Sixteen.  

Here are a few highlights, courtesy of our hotel's wireless network (which works so much better than the wireless in my apartment back in New York -- that conveniently stopped working a few days before I left, leaving me without a reliable internet connection for the better part of the first week of March Madness...).

1.  The Syracuse guys really like each other, and they play like it:  During this afternoon's first game between Syracuse and Arizona State, it was really obvious that the Syracuse players like playing together and that they are very well-coached (love Jim Boeheim).  Even during the warm-ups, the players were very supportive of each other, focused and energized.  It was nice to see.

2.  University of Arizona fans are an organized, enthusiastic bunch.  The fans in the stands at Miami's American Airlines Arena knew most of the songs that the band played and many of the cheers that the cheerleading squad led -- and they were not afraid to display their loyalty (to everyone).

3.  Speaking of the University of Arizona band, there was a female band member -- a clarinet player sitting very close to my brother and me -- who was, by far, the most enthusiastic college band member that I have ever seen in my entire life with the highest pitched voice that I have ever heard in my entire life.  It was impossible to miss her (or her voice), even with all the action on the court.   My brother and I were pulling for the Cleveland State Vikings (I can never resist pulling for the underdog), but her display of team spirit was so infectiously over the top that even I had to smile and cheer when the Wildcats won.

That's it for now.  I'll upload pictures to the blog soon (yes, that means that I finally recovered my digital camera!).  Then I need to rest!  It's been a long (and incredibly fun) day.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Fabulous! I would rather see the apartment pictures and comments...forget March madness...not that I am unreasonable about having written diversity but please...more pictures!!