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What were you doing for each of Uconns final four runs? (and other assorted tales)
1999 - Obviously the most special, being the first. I was a freshmen in high school in SE Connecticut. I remember Uconns win over Gonzaga. It was a somewhat cold day and I had a social studies poster due the next day. I remember watching the game and Gonzaga pulling within a point or two late and thinking "Not again" (Please don't let Uconn fall short in the elite 8 AGAIN.) I remember many painful close calls from the past, overtime vs. Florida, a 69-60 loss, a 60-55 loss to Ole Miss, a 102-96 loss to UCLA, a 75-64 loss to UNC. But when Uconn pulled it out, 67-62, I was at a loss for words. I had so much energy, that social studies poster turned out great as a result!
I remember being at a friends house for the Ohio St. match. We spent most of the day playing Mario 64 but turned it off just in time for the tip. After the amazing victory, we shot some hoops until my mom came to pick me up. I remember my mom, normally not much of a sports fan, tuning into the final vs. Duke. Even she was excited. I can tell you that most people I knew in CT were thrilled just to be in the final game. We knew it would take a huge effort and knew it was possible but that it would be very hard. It was a nerve racking game and even my mom was nervous but as we all know, Uconn pulled it out and shocked the world! 77-74 is a score that will never escape my memory. A few years later Uconn beat NC State by that same score.
2004 - I was a freshmen at UNI in Maine. I remember watching Uconn-Duke in the final four. Uconn was down by 8, if I remember, with just over two minutes to go. That was the deficit for most of the game, give or take. Then Okafor had a monster finish to spark the comeback. I remember a few of my (New England) college buddies, who were not basketball fans, really pulling for Uconn none the less. We celebrated like crazy, I got pretty drunk in one of my buddies dorm rooms celebrating after the game. Maybe 5 minutes after the final horn I was drinking in celebration. The Georgia Tech game was almost anti-climatic, or as anti-climatic as a title game can be. Uconn took it to Gtech and won easily. I remember being home in November, at a buddies flag football party and watching Uconn get handled with ease playing Gtech, so this was nice payback. By the way, I think Gordon/Okafor are the best inside/outside duo in Uconn history, perhaps the best duo ever.
2009 - I do not remember much of this season. I was travelling for most of it, France, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Germany, and did not have a lot of time, if any, to even check up on scores. Maybe a few times, but it was not on my mind considering the fact that travel was the priority. I ended up in China in mid march, where I would stay for 22 months. I got to Beijing probably just before they made the final four. I remember waking up one day to check espn and saw that they had lost to Michigan St. Still disappointing even though I was not really tuned in for that season.
2011 - This was a special year for me. In 2010 I was in China again so I was (still) adjusting to that whole change and do not recall paying too much attention to that team. I do not think they were very good but I do not remember. However, in November of 2011, I was diagnosed with cancer while in China. I had to make an immediate return back to Connecticut. It was not a good time. I remember one positive of this time was when Uconn beat Michigan St. and Kentucky to take an early preseason title. It was just after my first chemo if I recall and I was still so thrilled even though the chemo was kicking my ass. It made that first chemo seem a little less devastating. I knew from that point that this team was special and I was much more tuned in than the previous year. I became closer to three of my friends from high school during this time, friends I had not really seen since maybe.
2003 or 2004. I remember being in one of my favorite restaurants in SE Connecticut when they lost to Notre Dame in early March with my three friends. Then the three of us, together for nearly every game, witnessed one of the most amazing runs in college ball. Other than the Gtown first round game, I think we were together, the four of us, for nearly every game of those 11 games. It was the one exciting moment during all that chemo and I was so pumped!
2014 - I was living in Washington DC for this one, where I had been living since August of 2011 (I moved there as soon as my chemo and radiation therapy was done). I still remember the day Uconn beat Michigan St. It was a freezing cold day, a lot of wind and a little snow. My gf and I went to Alexandria in the morning to see the George Washington Mason memorial (beautiful). We got back just in time to see the tip. I was so upset when Uconn went down by 9 early in the second half. I said "I will take a shower, I need to "cool off"" (well, more of my gfs advice). It was a quick shower during a commercial break. But as quick as it was, upon coming back from the shower Uconn was suddenly only down by just a point and eventually won. Amazing finish! I think I need to take showers more often in those types of situations! Also, although I did not see much of 2009, this win over MSU was still redemption just the same!
Any way, For the Florida game, we watched in some bar in Chinatown and got some pizza at, I think Graffitos though I could be wrong. For the title game, my friend from Denmark was visiting around that time. I showed my gf (who was from Colombia) and him the boarder of Maryland, Virginia and DC, where the three meet. Later we went to a bar in Dupont and watched Uconn beat Kentucky in a close game. I recall my Danish friend saying afterwards "I did not realize that was the title game." Haha, still, I think he liked Giffey who came up huge during that run.
2015 - Living in Bogota and was not too thrilled with this season and showed it. This was the most negative I have ever been for a Uconn team. I was at work in Bogota finishing up school work for the year when Uconn played Colorado in 2016 but I had the game on silent. God, Uconn almost blew it but held on for dear life.
2017 - Here I am, still in Colombia. I got married but this season has been hard. Uconn is slowly been improving but I think a lot of fans, myself included, have been very hard on this team.
Some heart breakers: I already mentioned the Florida game, when I was about 7, in second grade. I remember going to bed dropping F bombs. I think that was the first time I ever used word. I remember the Ole Miss game and how much of a bummer that was too, but not as much as the Florida game. I remember losing to UCLA in a shoot out but I expected that seeing as UCLA eventually won it all that year and was a 1 seed. That game did not shock me. I remember the loss to Tennessee in 2000, but after what happened it was not such a huge shocker.
But losing to 10th seeded NC State in the second round was a heart breaker. I do not recall too much else of what was happening in my life during that time though. At UNI, I know that and maybe dealing with a tough break up that I have at this point, long since forgotten.
More recently, I remember the George Mason game. I was living in Portland Maine, going to another University (transfer!). I was alone in my dorm room which was probably a good thing. Because as the final buzzer sounded, I was MAD. Never been so mad at a Uconn loss, even more than the Florida game. I took a long walk through Portland, down Congress St and all the way to the "Dog Beach" to reflect. Prior to that match, I remember watching the Vermont game in my dorm room and I knew right there, it was only a matter of time before they went down, I knew they were not a final four team after that game even though they had the talent. They escaped past Washington and Kentucky as far as I recall.
I also remember the San Diego game that I watched in my apartment, also in Portland Maine. I was with my French gf who, obviously, did not know a thing about March Madness. She was on the phone with her friend from France. She wondered what the hell was happening at the end of that game. Uconn, as a 4, had just gone down in OT by a point and I expressed that anger. She heard me cursing for sure. That was a bummer of a game, for sure. If I recall the score was 70 to 69.
There were other years where I was just simply proud of Uconn despite losses. I remember in back to back years, close losses to Maryland and Texas. I think Uconn was a 2 seed in both of those years and they went down in close games to 1 seeds. I remember in both years, I was watching with a bunch of my buddies in Connecticut with tons of pizza and junk food. Good memories despite the losses.
I would say the top 5 biggest disappointments, for me, were 5. Tennessee 4. NC State 3. San Diego 2. Florida 1. GMason
The Top 5 most amazing games for me, and perhaps the ranking seems odd to some but oh well.
Tied 5. St. Josephs - 2014, Uconn would be a very small footnote in 2014 without this amazing game!
Tied 5. Butler - 2011, as ugly as the game was, this capped an amazing 11 game run.
4. Kentucky - 2014, Beating the Cats to end another amazing run
3. Duke - 2004, The comeback game in 2004 to go to the championship game
2. Duke - 1999, first championship in 1999!
1. Gonzaga - 1999 as odd as it sounds, that was the game that got Uconn to their first final four. I will never forget this one!! If Gonzaga, who, if I remember got to within 63-62 late in the game, had actually won this, I think Uconn fans would have started to really feel cursed....Uconn needed this win in the biggest way. Who knows how this game could have altered the history of the program had it been a loss. 67-62 Uconn.
What are your own stories?
1999 - Obviously the most special, being the first. I was a freshmen in high school in SE Connecticut. I remember Uconns win over Gonzaga. It was a somewhat cold day and I had a social studies poster due the next day. I remember watching the game and Gonzaga pulling within a point or two late and thinking "Not again" (Please don't let Uconn fall short in the elite 8 AGAIN.) I remember many painful close calls from the past, overtime vs. Florida, a 69-60 loss, a 60-55 loss to Ole Miss, a 102-96 loss to UCLA, a 75-64 loss to UNC. But when Uconn pulled it out, 67-62, I was at a loss for words. I had so much energy, that social studies poster turned out great as a result!
I remember being at a friends house for the Ohio St. match. We spent most of the day playing Mario 64 but turned it off just in time for the tip. After the amazing victory, we shot some hoops until my mom came to pick me up. I remember my mom, normally not much of a sports fan, tuning into the final vs. Duke. Even she was excited. I can tell you that most people I knew in CT were thrilled just to be in the final game. We knew it would take a huge effort and knew it was possible but that it would be very hard. It was a nerve racking game and even my mom was nervous but as we all know, Uconn pulled it out and shocked the world! 77-74 is a score that will never escape my memory. A few years later Uconn beat NC State by that same score.
2004 - I was a freshmen at UNI in Maine. I remember watching Uconn-Duke in the final four. Uconn was down by 8, if I remember, with just over two minutes to go. That was the deficit for most of the game, give or take. Then Okafor had a monster finish to spark the comeback. I remember a few of my (New England) college buddies, who were not basketball fans, really pulling for Uconn none the less. We celebrated like crazy, I got pretty drunk in one of my buddies dorm rooms celebrating after the game. Maybe 5 minutes after the final horn I was drinking in celebration. The Georgia Tech game was almost anti-climatic, or as anti-climatic as a title game can be. Uconn took it to Gtech and won easily. I remember being home in November, at a buddies flag football party and watching Uconn get handled with ease playing Gtech, so this was nice payback. By the way, I think Gordon/Okafor are the best inside/outside duo in Uconn history, perhaps the best duo ever.
2009 - I do not remember much of this season. I was travelling for most of it, France, Italy, Spain, Morocco, Germany, and did not have a lot of time, if any, to even check up on scores. Maybe a few times, but it was not on my mind considering the fact that travel was the priority. I ended up in China in mid march, where I would stay for 22 months. I got to Beijing probably just before they made the final four. I remember waking up one day to check espn and saw that they had lost to Michigan St. Still disappointing even though I was not really tuned in for that season.
2011 - This was a special year for me. In 2010 I was in China again so I was (still) adjusting to that whole change and do not recall paying too much attention to that team. I do not think they were very good but I do not remember. However, in November of 2011, I was diagnosed with cancer while in China. I had to make an immediate return back to Connecticut. It was not a good time. I remember one positive of this time was when Uconn beat Michigan St. and Kentucky to take an early preseason title. It was just after my first chemo if I recall and I was still so thrilled even though the chemo was kicking my ass. It made that first chemo seem a little less devastating. I knew from that point that this team was special and I was much more tuned in than the previous year. I became closer to three of my friends from high school during this time, friends I had not really seen since maybe.
2003 or 2004. I remember being in one of my favorite restaurants in SE Connecticut when they lost to Notre Dame in early March with my three friends. Then the three of us, together for nearly every game, witnessed one of the most amazing runs in college ball. Other than the Gtown first round game, I think we were together, the four of us, for nearly every game of those 11 games. It was the one exciting moment during all that chemo and I was so pumped!
2014 - I was living in Washington DC for this one, where I had been living since August of 2011 (I moved there as soon as my chemo and radiation therapy was done). I still remember the day Uconn beat Michigan St. It was a freezing cold day, a lot of wind and a little snow. My gf and I went to Alexandria in the morning to see the George Washington Mason memorial (beautiful). We got back just in time to see the tip. I was so upset when Uconn went down by 9 early in the second half. I said "I will take a shower, I need to "cool off"" (well, more of my gfs advice). It was a quick shower during a commercial break. But as quick as it was, upon coming back from the shower Uconn was suddenly only down by just a point and eventually won. Amazing finish! I think I need to take showers more often in those types of situations! Also, although I did not see much of 2009, this win over MSU was still redemption just the same!
Any way, For the Florida game, we watched in some bar in Chinatown and got some pizza at, I think Graffitos though I could be wrong. For the title game, my friend from Denmark was visiting around that time. I showed my gf (who was from Colombia) and him the boarder of Maryland, Virginia and DC, where the three meet. Later we went to a bar in Dupont and watched Uconn beat Kentucky in a close game. I recall my Danish friend saying afterwards "I did not realize that was the title game." Haha, still, I think he liked Giffey who came up huge during that run.
2015 - Living in Bogota and was not too thrilled with this season and showed it. This was the most negative I have ever been for a Uconn team. I was at work in Bogota finishing up school work for the year when Uconn played Colorado in 2016 but I had the game on silent. God, Uconn almost blew it but held on for dear life.
2017 - Here I am, still in Colombia. I got married but this season has been hard. Uconn is slowly been improving but I think a lot of fans, myself included, have been very hard on this team.
Some heart breakers: I already mentioned the Florida game, when I was about 7, in second grade. I remember going to bed dropping F bombs. I think that was the first time I ever used word. I remember the Ole Miss game and how much of a bummer that was too, but not as much as the Florida game. I remember losing to UCLA in a shoot out but I expected that seeing as UCLA eventually won it all that year and was a 1 seed. That game did not shock me. I remember the loss to Tennessee in 2000, but after what happened it was not such a huge shocker.
But losing to 10th seeded NC State in the second round was a heart breaker. I do not recall too much else of what was happening in my life during that time though. At UNI, I know that and maybe dealing with a tough break up that I have at this point, long since forgotten.
More recently, I remember the George Mason game. I was living in Portland Maine, going to another University (transfer!). I was alone in my dorm room which was probably a good thing. Because as the final buzzer sounded, I was MAD. Never been so mad at a Uconn loss, even more than the Florida game. I took a long walk through Portland, down Congress St and all the way to the "Dog Beach" to reflect. Prior to that match, I remember watching the Vermont game in my dorm room and I knew right there, it was only a matter of time before they went down, I knew they were not a final four team after that game even though they had the talent. They escaped past Washington and Kentucky as far as I recall.
I also remember the San Diego game that I watched in my apartment, also in Portland Maine. I was with my French gf who, obviously, did not know a thing about March Madness. She was on the phone with her friend from France. She wondered what the hell was happening at the end of that game. Uconn, as a 4, had just gone down in OT by a point and I expressed that anger. She heard me cursing for sure. That was a bummer of a game, for sure. If I recall the score was 70 to 69.
There were other years where I was just simply proud of Uconn despite losses. I remember in back to back years, close losses to Maryland and Texas. I think Uconn was a 2 seed in both of those years and they went down in close games to 1 seeds. I remember in both years, I was watching with a bunch of my buddies in Connecticut with tons of pizza and junk food. Good memories despite the losses.
I would say the top 5 biggest disappointments, for me, were 5. Tennessee 4. NC State 3. San Diego 2. Florida 1. GMason
The Top 5 most amazing games for me, and perhaps the ranking seems odd to some but oh well.
Tied 5. St. Josephs - 2014, Uconn would be a very small footnote in 2014 without this amazing game!
Tied 5. Butler - 2011, as ugly as the game was, this capped an amazing 11 game run.
4. Kentucky - 2014, Beating the Cats to end another amazing run
3. Duke - 2004, The comeback game in 2004 to go to the championship game
2. Duke - 1999, first championship in 1999!
1. Gonzaga - 1999 as odd as it sounds, that was the game that got Uconn to their first final four. I will never forget this one!! If Gonzaga, who, if I remember got to within 63-62 late in the game, had actually won this, I think Uconn fans would have started to really feel cursed....Uconn needed this win in the biggest way. Who knows how this game could have altered the history of the program had it been a loss. 67-62 Uconn.
What are your own stories?
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