As I mentioned in upstater's post, I am also a native and lifelong Buffalonian and was very excited to see UConn in this year's brackets. Super excited for you degenerates to take over the town! I'm totally open to getting together on Friday, for instance, if they win and you all are meeting somewhere for wings and basketball viewing. I can always give recommendations and other advice too, I've lived in every portion of the city/surrounding suburbs.
I have a million variables as far as deciding whether to get tickets and go to these games. It's not as obvious as one would think that I want to go. In fact, I'm leaning towards not going. Part of that is mojo related, part is comfort.
I have a coincidental situation where my partner and 2 kids are both leaving for a 4 day weekend with their family. I took Thursday and Friday off to specifically watch the games, not yet knowing they'd be gone. So now I have 4 days of house to myself, zero responsibilities. I planned on sitting on my butt, watching ball, drinking, eating corned beef and cabbage in my uconn shorts. Then they get selected to play in Buffalo and I'm now conflicted.
Adding to this is the mojo element. They were a 2 seed in 2004 and played in Buffalo. I was a junior in college. I scalped tickets by myself in my Ricky Moore jersey to watch the game in the nose bleeds. I sat by myself and enjoyed a thorough thrashing of their first 2 opponents en route to a magical 2nd title.
However, in 2014 I was living in the city, a mile or two from the arena, and had even taken a trip to XL Center earlier in the year to watch Shabazz and co. When they got a snub 7 seed and given the Buffalo region, I told myself I didn't want to go. Not only was I pretty broke at the time, but I decided I wanted to watch in peace, but with extreme nerves, and I couldn't watch them lose in public. I was VERY invested in those Shabazz teams and I knew I'd be crushed if I was there when they got knocked out by Joes or Nova.
Well, we know they went all the way and me and my current fiancee watched every game of that run in our first year together, our first apartment together, bonding over our mutual (and her brand new) love for Shabazz amongst others. Now I feel like that was a HUGE part of the last title team's mojo, that I avoided seeing them in person here.
Sorry for the long windedness - who's got some advice for me: Go, or stay home and veg and keep the mojo alive?
