There were so many tears Sunday over that game. On the court. In the stands. At the Purdue Airport when the Purdue men’s basketball team returned from its Elite 8 win in Detroit. In one case, on the broadcast row. (Hello, Robbie Hummel.)
How did Purdue’s win Sunday over Tennessee, sending the Boilers to the Final Four for the first time since 1980, hit you? Did it remind you of close calls in the past? Of someone not here that you wish could have seen this day? Of this being just one more step to a National Championship?
And what are your plans for taking in Saturday’s NCAA Tournament semifinal against North Carolina State?
Let’s share some thoughts, stories and memories.
Note: This is an open thread, so feel free to contribute and share.
We’re in Burbank with son Pete for Easter and headed for Phoenix to the game with other son Mark Sattler for the game. Once in a lifetime event (mine for sure).
A lot to unpack. I'm a life long IU fan living for the past 40 years in West Lafayette. I married a Purdue grad and both our sons went to Purdue. Twice a year, I pull for Purdue's competition. Other than that, all in with Purdue basketball. For Matt Painter, a heart felt congrats. In his post game presser, he was brutally honest in self reflection of where the program was before Hummel, Moore and Johnson. Coach Painter has always owned his mistakes which is rare air in these times. He has always responded in a positive fashion. I hope they continue to post Ws and win it all.
To see Robbie Hummel, who we love as a play by play announcer, feel the joy of the victory is indicative of the culture of the Keady-Painter years.
I will say the sense of relief after the game was over was...welcome. My wife Karen is die-hard to say the least. Her joy became my joy. This is a great team. We watch all Purdue games and a lot college hoops in general. For all the coaches, fans, and players past and present, this is well deserved.
A big week in West Lafayette...Final 4 and 4 billion dollar chip-packaging plant. BTFU!
In related news, the Indiana General Assembly has just passed a resolution condemning the NCAA's decision to allow Zach Edey to compete in NCAA-sanctioned games. Praising the resolution as "long overdue," State Representative Bubba McBumpkin (R-Rubesville, IN) noted that it "broke his heart to see height-challenged college boys forced to compete against Edey, who has an outrageously unfair and completely unearned biological advantage over all of them." McBumpkin went on to suggest that the NCAA should create a separate "Tall Men's League" for players over 6'10" to avoid unfairly depriving shorter men of scholarships, championship rings, starting positions on team rosters, and face time on ESPN. "This injustice cannot stand," said McBumpkin, "and it's time the NCAA put an end to it."
What a great victory for the whole Purdue family! The two-generation players and their parents, the Mr. Basketballs playing roles, the guy behind the bench every game, the guys who stuck around four years, the Scout Team. And of course the coaches and the men on the court. We will be watching in Albany CA with our three month old granddaughter in her Purdue dress. Boiler Up!
Memories & Emotions—I was living on Minot AFB, ND when I watched Joe Barry Carroll in the 1980. I remember sitting on the floor of our base house watching the game. Fast forward to last night…the ecstasy of knowing I will get to watch this amazing team place in person in PHX! Then the sadness of knowing how much my Dad and husband, Lary, would have loved to see this team. Perhaps they are watching from another vantage. 💛🖤❤️
Just a riveting game with hard play on both sides. Proud -as always- of the Purdue team and staff, working together through shooting problems to pull through for a great, long awaited, win. This team is just a joy to watch and I am hoping for two more inspiring games to come!!
My initial reaction was to yell BTFU (except the expanded version) at a volume that I don't think my wife has heard me hit before (and she's been at a lot of sporting events with me). I didn't cry until I heard that clip from Robbie and then I blubbered uncontrollably for a good five minutes.
I'm a 2x Purdue alumnus, and season ticket holder for men's and women's basketball. I'm invested in this program. It's been so much fun to watch this group of young men represent Purdue and have the success that so many deserving teams before them have been denied. I'm excited for the present and the future of the men's program — this is Matt Painter's first Final Four, not his last — and I can't wait for Katie Gearlds to get the women back to this level of success.
Oddly, i didn't cry at all. Maybe because the outcome was decided before the final minute. I also felt like the job isn't done yet, and I should save the tears for when they hoist the national championship trophy.
So at today's women's Bible study we spent 45 minutes talking about the Purdue Mens bb team. We talked about the community of athletics that lasts a lifetime...we see you, Gene Keady and Robbie Hummel. We talked about how excited the Greater Lafayette community is about this achievement...and finally we got silly when I googled "Jesus playing basketball". What fun!
During the game I had tons of ups and down’s, much like the score.
During that final 2 minutes my daughter thought I lost my mind because I was standing in the middle of the room with my hands clenched. Then during any commercial break, I was pacing in circles.
I know how quickly games can change and having seen an Elite 8 game lost on a desperation 3, I wasn’t confident until Edey got that block with 30 seconds left. And even then, 30 seconds is a LOOOONG time. A steal and shot, suddenly 1 possession game.
Getting the inbound cleanly and Loyer getting fouled to make it a 3 possession game, was the nail.
The phrase "Division I student-athlete" always makes me queasy. I'm glad these young men are doing well in their tournament but for the life of me I don't see what is has to do with what a great university offers to the other 99.99% of students. They work hard for the free tuition, but given what they get out of "attending college" it would be obscene to have them pay anything. This unpopular opinion also baffles every European I've ever met.
We’re in Burbank with son Pete for Easter and headed for Phoenix to the game with other son Mark Sattler for the game. Once in a lifetime event (mine for sure).
A lot to unpack. I'm a life long IU fan living for the past 40 years in West Lafayette. I married a Purdue grad and both our sons went to Purdue. Twice a year, I pull for Purdue's competition. Other than that, all in with Purdue basketball. For Matt Painter, a heart felt congrats. In his post game presser, he was brutally honest in self reflection of where the program was before Hummel, Moore and Johnson. Coach Painter has always owned his mistakes which is rare air in these times. He has always responded in a positive fashion. I hope they continue to post Ws and win it all.
To see Robbie Hummel, who we love as a play by play announcer, feel the joy of the victory is indicative of the culture of the Keady-Painter years.
I will say the sense of relief after the game was over was...welcome. My wife Karen is die-hard to say the least. Her joy became my joy. This is a great team. We watch all Purdue games and a lot college hoops in general. For all the coaches, fans, and players past and present, this is well deserved.
A big week in West Lafayette...Final 4 and 4 billion dollar chip-packaging plant. BTFU!
In related news, the Indiana General Assembly has just passed a resolution condemning the NCAA's decision to allow Zach Edey to compete in NCAA-sanctioned games. Praising the resolution as "long overdue," State Representative Bubba McBumpkin (R-Rubesville, IN) noted that it "broke his heart to see height-challenged college boys forced to compete against Edey, who has an outrageously unfair and completely unearned biological advantage over all of them." McBumpkin went on to suggest that the NCAA should create a separate "Tall Men's League" for players over 6'10" to avoid unfairly depriving shorter men of scholarships, championship rings, starting positions on team rosters, and face time on ESPN. "This injustice cannot stand," said McBumpkin, "and it's time the NCAA put an end to it."
What a great victory for the whole Purdue family! The two-generation players and their parents, the Mr. Basketballs playing roles, the guy behind the bench every game, the guys who stuck around four years, the Scout Team. And of course the coaches and the men on the court. We will be watching in Albany CA with our three month old granddaughter in her Purdue dress. Boiler Up!
Memories & Emotions—I was living on Minot AFB, ND when I watched Joe Barry Carroll in the 1980. I remember sitting on the floor of our base house watching the game. Fast forward to last night…the ecstasy of knowing I will get to watch this amazing team place in person in PHX! Then the sadness of knowing how much my Dad and husband, Lary, would have loved to see this team. Perhaps they are watching from another vantage. 💛🖤❤️
Just a riveting game with hard play on both sides. Proud -as always- of the Purdue team and staff, working together through shooting problems to pull through for a great, long awaited, win. This team is just a joy to watch and I am hoping for two more inspiring games to come!!
My initial reaction was to yell BTFU (except the expanded version) at a volume that I don't think my wife has heard me hit before (and she's been at a lot of sporting events with me). I didn't cry until I heard that clip from Robbie and then I blubbered uncontrollably for a good five minutes.
I'm a 2x Purdue alumnus, and season ticket holder for men's and women's basketball. I'm invested in this program. It's been so much fun to watch this group of young men represent Purdue and have the success that so many deserving teams before them have been denied. I'm excited for the present and the future of the men's program — this is Matt Painter's first Final Four, not his last — and I can't wait for Katie Gearlds to get the women back to this level of success.
Oddly, i didn't cry at all. Maybe because the outcome was decided before the final minute. I also felt like the job isn't done yet, and I should save the tears for when they hoist the national championship trophy.
Get your Kleenex ready!
So at today's women's Bible study we spent 45 minutes talking about the Purdue Mens bb team. We talked about the community of athletics that lasts a lifetime...we see you, Gene Keady and Robbie Hummel. We talked about how excited the Greater Lafayette community is about this achievement...and finally we got silly when I googled "Jesus playing basketball". What fun!
During the game I had tons of ups and down’s, much like the score.
During that final 2 minutes my daughter thought I lost my mind because I was standing in the middle of the room with my hands clenched. Then during any commercial break, I was pacing in circles.
I know how quickly games can change and having seen an Elite 8 game lost on a desperation 3, I wasn’t confident until Edey got that block with 30 seconds left. And even then, 30 seconds is a LOOOONG time. A steal and shot, suddenly 1 possession game.
Getting the inbound cleanly and Loyer getting fouled to make it a 3 possession game, was the nail.
The phrase "Division I student-athlete" always makes me queasy. I'm glad these young men are doing well in their tournament but for the life of me I don't see what is has to do with what a great university offers to the other 99.99% of students. They work hard for the free tuition, but given what they get out of "attending college" it would be obscene to have them pay anything. This unpopular opinion also baffles every European I've ever met.