funny how things work out...

So, you know already ole' NORMIE has been blowin' the whistle for over 33 years now and has passed his ties and clipboards on the Andrew. So, after my mom told me how long it was, I went on Ebay and scored a Magic Johnson #33 throwback '79 Championship replica jersey and had a plan: to surprise my dad and take him to the Tom Izzo show (MSU's babll coach for those who don't know) and have him meet coach and get the jersey signed by him. It would be a moment made in hardwood heaven for my dad.

I get in touch with the basketball program and one of the basketball operations assistants tell me to take him to last night's show.

But the jersey still in mail limbo hasn't arrived. I get a BIG TEN CHAMPS shirt quickly as a second option.

We role up there, a sports bar, my Dad sees the sign and says, "Awesome! I get to meet Tom Izzo." Plan working so far.

We walk in and there are hundreds of peeps, alumn, donars, old folks with money waiting for the show and my dad and I get the old, "There's no room in the INN" excuse and settle for 2 seats at the bar on a waiting list. I apologize and spill my surprise to my dad. Like always, carefree, he makes the most of it.

The manager walks in and tells us she's got a spot for us and proceeds to walk us up to the very front of this room of 300 hundred or so. Ok. We are seated next to some really nice people; some of who work at MSU, the Breslin Center, know the Izzos, ....pretty much rubbin' shoulders with the high rollas in the Spartan fam. Lupe Izzo, tom's wife sits down across from us.

Then, the 4 senior players roll up and sit down the table in front of us. The place goes insane when on the big screens, guard Travis Walton is announced Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and erupts when Izzo is named Big Ten Coach of the Year. We chat-- my Dad talks everyone's ear off, listen to the player and coach interviews during show, I slip a quick congrats to Walton and Suton as they leave, and roll. Norm has a perma-grin from ear to ear as we leave, knowing that we just got lucky.

But the luck doesn't stop there. We get home and there's an email message from the lady I spoke to from the basketball office. She apologizes for coach Izzo's absence (somehow getting???? how cool it would be for a guy like my dad to be able to chime with the Izzo) and invites us to a practice this week. Wow. I just laugh at how things turn out sometimes. I still have no jersey, but when it gets here, you better believe me and pops will be making one last trip. And I have a feelin' the best is yet to come. At least I hope it does for my Dad; he deserves it.

Call it the Ides of March or MArch Madness, I don't know. There's just nothing like this time of the year with Spring coming and a certain tourney around the bend. Here are some pics from last night too.


Best comment from last night. Dad, "Son, there's just NO WAY that we get those seats and can even speak to let alone approach those fans if we're in Ann Arbor. Just different folks." And that is why people just flat-out respect this program and their everyday, down-to-earth coach. And for Wes, you've got his CLONE down at IU and will get the same....