 Source: Danny Clinkscale
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Title: Our version of Tobacco Road.Submitted By: danny_clinkscaleFebruary 24, 2010 more from this member rate this user |
Our version of Tobacco Road.
There have been many years that the little alley in North Carolina that contains
UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, and occasionally NC State, has had major powers in college basketball at the same time. Well, we shouldn't just gloss over the fact that right here within125 miles of Kansas City we are going a long way to doing the same.
Two top ten teams and the hard-charging Missouri Tigers might just make up the top threeteams in the Big 12, and theoretically with some late steam from Mizzou, say go 1,2,3 seed for the NCAA tournament as well. For an area that has had to suffer through miserable professional sportsescapades for quite a few years now, this is welcome relief. Most of the college fans in the area are also fans of the Chiefs and/or the Royals, and that has almost been too much to bear.
But right now, with three coaches who are either in the elite class or really seem to be finding their footing, it is not inconcievable in any way that we might get this winter relief for quite a while now. Perhapswe might even have it during a winter that we don't need relief from the cold winds and high snows of this year. Here is hoping that the weather is more the abberation than the college basketball excellence.
While I have never been one of those people who embraces the oft-stated mantra that you root for the other Big 12 teams, or for your rivals when they are not playing you, it is refreshing when you know that important games are going to be played every time that the local squads take the court. Then when they play each other, it has become destination, must see, entertainment.
The only problem right now is the locals are going so well that they often suck the life right out of games that once upon a time would have been potential upsets.
But that part of the season is about to come to an end. The end of the regular season features head to head bragging rights games as Missouri goes to Kansas State and hosts Kansas on Senior Day, and KU's senior day has the 'Cats in town. Then on we roll right into the postseason. Think of the scene, the excitement, the trash being talked down at the Power and Light at the Big 12 tournament, and March Madness could have three games on the same day featuring these teams.
I-70 doesn't have a cool nickname like Tobacco Road, but right now a three hour ride down the highway and a couple of turns gets you to a basketball hotbed. We deserve something hot in this worst of wintersand we have got it. Get ready to soak it in, and remember, it might not happen again soon.
Or then again, it just might.