March Madness

March is like a holiday in Kentucky. The reason for the celebration is basketball.  We get to root for our favorite college teams no matter which ones they are.  We get the greatest high school basketball tournament in the nation, both boys and girls.  And they all remind me of my grandparents.

My first basketball memory is of Granddad.  It is not about playing or even watching.  It was a curse word.  I never heard the man say many but the first one I remember ever heard him say was watching a basketball game. The 1978 mens national semi-final game University of Kentucky versus the University of Arkansas.  UK was not playing that well at half time and led by just 2 points.  The start of the 2nd half was when the word was said.  I would remember later that Joe B. Hall was the coach of Kentucky (Eddie Sutton ironically was coaching Arkansas).  The phrase I remember was "what the hell is Joe B doing?" Joe B had benched 3 of his starting five players and my Granddad was not pleased with the decision.  Come to find out Joe B was right and the final score was a 64-59 UK victory.  The next game was UK beating Duke for the national title.  I can not remember ever hearing another curse word come out of my Granddad's mouth.  I know he said them from time to time but not often and never as important.  

The basketball memory I keep coming back to with Mama Jo was about a spring break trip while in college.  There was an infamous trip taken in the early 90s by 5 very nice young men.  There was a discussion about getting our ears pierced before we left for the week.  3 of us did but I was one of the 2 who did not.  A week of much fun but very little sun (coldest week in Corpus Christi history I know it was) later and we drive back into Murray.  It was a night of the regional basketball tournament.  Scott and I decided to go see the games because we knew our friends and family would be there.  Sure enough we saw lots of people and were having a good time when I felt a tug on my ear.  "Well I see you were smart enough to not get it done" was what Mama Jo said.  How she knew we were even thinking about getting our ears pierced the week before was one of her secrets.  She always knew.  

There are so many more stories I need to write down before I start to forget them.  From trips to Oxford Mississippi to see the Cats play or going to  EKU to watch the Lady Marshalls complete an undefeated season.  I have these and many more basketball memories because of my wonderful grandparents.