Well as promised some game highlights from the Busch Braggin' Rights game. First of all, in case you missed Sports Center, the Illini won by one point. It was a very close game at the end, and I seriously had my doubts... but God bless 'em the Illini came through... keeping our perfect Braggin' Rights record in tact.
This game is just always lots of fun. Half the arena in orange, the other in gold and black. I have yet to go to a Braggin' Rights game that wasn't filled with lots of emotion, and this one was my seventh. This year besides basketball, football took center stage as well as the Illini faithful enjoyed turning the knife on the Mizzou football fans, pointing out how they got hosed out of BCS game, gleefully chiming in on the M-I-Z-Z-O-U cheer with our version, M-I-Z... B-C-S!
To offer you a little background on the post title, I have to go back a number of years. I was taking the Fab 5 (my five nieces and nephews) to an Illini basketball game and Lane asked me "Aunt Jane, is Dee Brown a Christian?". I replied that I didn't know and later Lane said, rather out of the blue, "Brian Randle, he's a Christian you know!", which for whatever reason just tickled me, and to this day we can't discuss B.R. without throwing in the "He's a Christian you know" line. To further explain, turns out that we live in a very small world and Lane goes to church with Brian Randle's Grandma's best friend, Virginia. Lane helped Virginia to her car after church one day when she wasn't feeling well and she later got Brian's autograph for Lane, to thank him for his kindness, and Lane being Lane had a discussion with Virginia about Brian's faith... it turns out Brian is a Christian.
Okay, so back to the game. It was crazy. Very close the whole time, and Nik, Karen, Sarah J and I even developed a high fiving routine. We were sitting in two rows of two so the routine was high 5 the person in your row, high 5 the person in front/back of you, then high 5 diagonal, Nik and Karen down low, and Sarah J and I up high. We were on edge, and even threatened to make Nik go to the bathroom at the end of the game because when she went in the first half Trent Meacham or T-Meach as Karen calls him, went on a 3-point shooting spree, and we really could have used he offense in the second half. I managed to get B.R. to make a couple of free throws by reminding every one that, and I quote "B.R. is a Christain, and Christians make their free throws, especially this close to Christmas!" Yep, those words came out of my mouth... completely silly, but hey whatever I could to for the team, right.
Also there was a very intense moment when during a timeout the short referee (I can't say what Karen called him all night) came over and just started going all nuts on assistant coach Jerrance Howard, yelling and wagging his finger at him. Never did find what that was about, but it was funny to watch, and we didn't appreciate someone giving "our Jerrance" the business. Not quite so funny was B.R. fouling out... again the short official... he didn't seem to like B.R. last night.
Well despite Brian fouling out, the Illini managed to pull off the victory. It was the best Braggin' Rights celebration ever. The folks in the next section took off (kudos to them) so we slid over into their seats where we could hang over the rail and "Woo Hoo" the entire team as they headed to the locker room. We got to "High 5" nearly every member of the team, including B.R., and Nik and I even got to touch the trophy as they brought it over to us. Somehow in all the excitement I managed to snap this photo of Brian as he was heading over to High 5 us. As you can see he was soooo excited. I know that he didn't have the game that he wanted, but it was great to see him so excited to have gone undefeated in his Braggin' Rights career too. That kind of excitement just makes you smile. It was awesome... we totally got Brian Randle sweat on our hands... how cool is that.
This morning as we were telling Sarah J good-bye in parking garage we told her we hoped that it was worth the 8 hour drive... her response... "We won, and I got to touch Brian Randle, he sweat on my hand... totally worth the drive!" So that pretty much sums up the Braggin' Rights game.
Merry Christmas to all, especially Brian Randle!
2 comments:
You girls have too much fun! I'm so glad you were all able to get together. I know I've been a part of Jano and Nik craziness, so I can't even imagine what it's like when Sarah and Karen get in the mix!
Don't worry, Jano, about your M-I-Z-B-C-S comment...I heard a great comeback...I-L-L-Where's-Your-Mascot! :)
Go Tennessee State!
I-L-L-S-U-K
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