With my ODU Monarchs playing for the CAA auto-bid, you knew I would be there. However, I went to the game fully prepared to partake in the (doubtless more intense) storming that would occur if William & Mary won their first NCAA bid ever.
I dragooned local reader Stormy to ride shotgun on the way to Richmond. This is what we saw there.
This was the outdoor Fan Fest tent. It was chilly, there was a mediocre band playing, and you had to pay for beer.
Stormy was employed in college athletics once upon a time, so he knows plenty of folks who are still in the business. He stopped to say hello to CAA Senior Associate Commissioner Kathleen Batterson, who kindly proffered tickets to the hospitality room, where we were able to get our eat and drink on. My biggest regret from this time is that it took me too long to recognize John Thompson as he walked past me, so I never got a photo of him.
I am a famously bad ticket-buyer. Ticketmaster put us high in the upper deck, which is not good for forty-year-old men. We were winded and couldn't see worth a damn.
Gotta love the W&M offense. Notice just one player inside the arc. They cut to the basket a lot, so there were points in the paint, most notably a monster alley-oop to Danny Sumner, who skied to slam it down.
You stay classy, VCU fans.
Tribe fans, on the other hand, are a pure delight. They're so old-school, even the younger ones. I especially loved the guys in the corner with the T-R-I-B-E letters.
The CAA was great about storming this year. They basically let it happen, but under their control. Here you can see the first guy to storm the floor to congratulate the Monarchs.
Then, the full storm began.
Stormy's favorite part: high-fiving a complete stranger.
The Finnish flag appears anywhere Gerald Lee does.
The title belt was a nice touch.
Someone slapped up the new championship banner in the Richmond Coliseum right quick.
Original Story:
http://www.stormingthefloor.net/2010/...
