The Road to the Final Four - Part Two: Gameday

(I'm in the upper level section in the Alamodome, up in the corner. I'm in shock. I can't talk. The guy sitting next to me and my friends asks each of us if we want anything from concessions. Ry and J say no. I ask for a bottle of water. The man, a chatty senior citizen from Alabama and also a Final Four Virgin, nods and heads down the steep flight of stairs.

We hear the sounds of a marching band spring forth. The crowd stands in unison and roars. Out come the North Carolina Tar Heels and Kansas Jayhawks in full glory, ready to start the second game of this nationally televised doubleheader. J wants to leave. Not just the arena, but San Antonio altogether. Ry and I understand. I can't bring myself to get up and walk away.

I can't believe UCLA's season, MY season, has ended. I don't know what to do with myself. The Bruins just lost to Memphis, and I can't wrap my head around that. And the day started out so promisingly...)



All the nervous energy that surrounded San Antonio the night before had tripled. I tried not to think about the game. I wanted to enjoy this fine Texas city on a wonderful Saturday afternoon. It was difficult.



Prior to the game, we checked out Hoop City. It's an expo celebrating college basketball. You can test your three-point skills, measure your vertical, and even hoop it up in a game of 3-on-3. Or you can do what I did; drink as many free Coke products as humanly possible. Coke Zero, it's the best!



We wandered our way down to the Alamodome and found our seats 90 minutes early. Our seats were in a section labeled Upper Level Corner. They weren't kidding. Also, no escalators. Not cool, Alamodome.

We were surrounded by non-Bruins. Kansas fans on our left, Tar Heels on our right. Memphis fans in front. The Alamodome concrete behind.

I'm not a sports writer, so I won't bore you with the details. We lost by fifteen points.

The three of us drowned our sorrows in steak, wine and peach cobbler. All at the Little Rhein Steakhouse in La Villita. Wonderful romantic atmosphere. Perfect for three dudes trying to forget about the last three hours of their lives. It didn't help that Memphis fans dressed as Fat Elvis paraded down the Riverwalk with their victory chants.

With two days left in San Antonio, we were at a loss for what to do. The thought of leaving the next day and getting out of this depressing place crossed our minds. But with the pressures of rooting my team to a Championship erased, I decided to turn this trip from a quest to full-on vacation. It was time to relax and try to enjoy the Alamo City.

If only we knew what to do...