It's been a rough March

Thought I could make it through the tournament without mentioning it. Then Butler had to go and make another remarkable run to the Sweet 16.

A year ago I was in my comfy chair at my Dad's house watching the Butler Bulldogs taking on Syracuse in the regional semifinal. The Dawgs pulled away quickly and I kept thinking to myself - this is not happening. Butler surely isn't going to beat the top-seeded Orange and advance to the Elite 8. In the second half, Syracuse, of course, came roaring back and momentarily took the lead. Then Butler regrouped and seized the lead for good on a shot by Willie Veasley that seemed to hit the back of the rim and go to the ceiling before finally going through the basket.

I remember going hysterical as the horn sounded and Butler had won! I couldn't believe it nor could my Dad. I had so much adrenaline going through me I jumped out of my comfy chair and my head hit the beam above me on the ceiling.

Then the Dawgs would beat Kansas State and advance to the Final Four back in Indianapolis. Despite being on a business trip to Champaign, Illinois to begin the week I did all I could to get tickets for the Final Four. On my last night I got a phone call through my good friend Jen Tucker that a friend of hers still had his two tickets available. I called my friend from Butler, Rob Evola, and also talked to my Dad and was able to secure the tickets for the game. Excitement ran at the Chinese buffet I was eating at when the man informed me I could have the tickets.

We all know how it ends - Butler wins the national semifinal against Michigan State and then comes within inches of beating Duke in regardless to what anyone will ever say was the best college basketball national championship I had seen.

After all that excitement it deflated on Sept. 9, 2010. That's the day I would so much like to forget. Actually I would rather have the day before back and tried to talk my Dad into going to the hospital. But I wasn't thinking and I don't think either one of us thought anything major was wrong with him from a health standpoint. Speaking of Butler I was supposed to meet up with Lucas Howard, Matt's brother, to give him a ball to have Matt sign. Anyway, I wasn't feeling right as I left a dinner that night and called Lucas and told him I would be going to my Dad's house instead because I hadn't gotten a hold of him all day. Not to mention it was Thursday and our weekly night of watching pro wrestling and eating ice cream.

As I came around the bend on the street behind my Dad's house I noticed the lights weren't on in the living room. I opened the garage door and went back to the bedroom where I had found him. I don't remember a lot more about that night. I remember going across the street to get the Phelps to call the police and the ambulance. The next thing I remember is being in the hospital because I had passed out.

Besides my family and being able to spend time with them, Butler Basketball this season whether win or lose has been an outlet for me. It allows me to forget reality for a couple of hours while watching them. Most importantly, being able to rotate my sons and take them to the games has been a joy of fatherhood I couldn't wait to do once we got the season tickets.

As did a lot of people did I had expectations for this team. Maybe too high, but still I thought they could continue to build on last year's success.

My Dawgs have. For the most part I think a lot of it also had to deal with taking the opponents best shot throughout the season especially in the Horizon League schedule. After the Youngstown State game and some minor adjustments, Butler has played the Butler Way and never looked back especially in what my friend Don Hobbs called the "We are Butler" game against Milwaukee in the league tournament championship game.

After last Satuday's win against Pitt - another one in dramatic fashion that now too seems to be the Butler Way, I was excited again about the Dawgs making another run to the Sweet 16. Also let it be known I don't sleep much since Sept. 9, 2010. Not because of the Dawgs, but because I am afraid of not waking up much like how my Dad passed away 28 Thursdays ago. While reading pieces on the Internet about the game and also reviewing the game on DVR a zillion times, I broke down and could only wish I could have shared Saturday night with him instead of being at a restaurant with strangers at best watching the Dawgs win in one of the most bizarre ways possible. The ending was right, but where I was at watching it wasn't. Seeing Dad's face and looks at me when I went nuts during those games last year was - PRICELESS!

I probably would have hit my head on the beam three or four times in that final 7.1 seconds.

The Dawgs again are two wins away from going back to the Final Four. This time not in Indianapolis, but in Houston. With the way things have transpired in the Southeast Region - as I predicted - it could happen. And it's not too crazy thinking it could be either a Duke vs Butler rematch or even as my Dad would have had it - Ohio State vs. Butler - pitting the Dawgs against Thad and some of his staff's alma mater.

Tonight, I head back to the restaurant I watched the Dawgs last Saturday. It should be a great game between to of the most similar teams I have ever seen paired up against in the NCAA tournament. I'll have on my Butler basketball hat and probably on backward pretty much for most of the game.

Would I rather be at the original Rueff Manor watching the Dawgs with my Dad and the possible chance of hitting my head on that beam for a second year in a row - YOU BET I WOULD!

Just hope they have ice cream for the celebration afterward!

LET'S...GO...DAWGS!