I’m sorry.
I really am.
Why am I apologizing? Well….I’ve been a little MIA the last few weeks, actually since the national championship game I’ve been laying low. Why have I been laying low? I’m actually not sure but I have an idea.
You see, I was lucky enough to take a trip to Blue Orleans in late March/early April and witness the Wildcat’s 8th National Championship in person (you can read about the trip HERE). Probably one of my top five experiences in my 30 years of life thus far. I am a sports freak and Kentucky basketball fanatic, this was truly a dream come true for me…I mean, I cried, no joke.
So every time I’d think about writing an article about something going on in the Kentucky sports world I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Was it writers block? Maybe. Was it laziness? Maybe. Was it because I lived a dream of mine, and maybe I didn’t want to move on from that experience? Was it because I witnessed a National Championship LIVE, in person, for my favorite team? Was it because I cried when Laettner hit the shot, jumped for joy in 1996 and 1998 when they won but have patiently (debatable) waited for 14 years for another banner that when it happened I was rendered speechless?
So many questions…and I have a few answers. Deep down inside, I honestly feel like part of me was not ready to let go of the 2011-2012 basketball season. After a record of 38-2, which included wins over North Carolina, Kansas, and Louisville in the regular season, topped off with an undefeated SEC season record of 16-0. When Kentucky lost in the SEC tournament championship game to Vandy, I knew the national title would come home. I knew it was going to follow the path that so many championship runs do, and leave the young Wildcats hungry to never experience that losing feeling again.
Going into the Final Four, I was a nervous wreck. After traveling 13 hours to New Orleans with some girlfriends, and seeing the mixture of Louisville and Kentucky fans, the stress of that day was exhausting. But I knew that this was Kentucky’s destiny and nothing would stand in their way, so when I remembered that, a calm came over me. When the game with Louisville was over, and I could finally relax knowing that I could return home to Louisville, Kentucky with my head held high, and just like that, the rest of the trip was easy.
The exhilaration of witnessing number eight cannot be put into words. And in some way, my brain felt stumped. Yes, I’ve cheered for the UK baseball and softball teams, and I’ve managed to stay in the loop with Kentucky football news, but even with that knowledge I was just not ready to move on.
While I’m still not ready to move forward with other Kentucky news, I know that I need to start making the transition away from my big blue banner hangover. So to you NOB readers and fans, I pledge to be a better writer! I pledge to take some basketball advil to get rid of this hangover and bring back the Courtney (or Jortney for some of you) you all know and love!
GO.CATS.
P.S. WE GOT NUMBER 8!!!!!!!!! 😮
