Am I envious that Astros radio man Brett Dolan will see the Butler Bulldogs take on the Connecticut Huskies for the NCAA Men's Basketball title at Reliant Stadium Monday night? Do I think MLB.com Astro writer Brian McTaggart has a good thing going by attending the game, too? You bet I am. I am the one who graduated from Butler in...uh let's just say a number of years ago. I am a former radio play by play announcer for the 'Dogs when the bulldog mascot was named Sam and lived in the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity house-- my fraternity. Could I have pulled a Dolan or McTaggart and flown back to Houston? Sure, but I am doing something different (and sneaking in a visit to my mother in Indiana as well) that I am looking forward to doing.
I will attend the final game and watch on multiple big screen TV's set up on the basketball court at Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse along with thousands of others. That number will include former classmates and my old radio partner from back in the day, Gary Nash. Hinkle Fieldhouse most fans know has great history. Not only was it the largest arena in the world when constructed and opened in the 1920s. It held 14,953 for years. Recent improvements--like taking out most of the bench style seating and putting comfortable modern seats-- have cut the official capacity to about 11,000. But it still looks the same--this massive brick building looming over the north side of Indianapolis. It used to be a real fieldhouse with indoor track and field plus other events besides basketball. But it is known for hoops. Bobby Plump (Jimmy Chitwood) hit his famous shot for Milan (Hickory) high school in 1953. The movie "Hoosiers" was filmed at Hinkle. The building itself is named after Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer, Tony Hinkle, who was a product in multiple sports under famed Amos Alonzo Stagg at the University of Chicago. Hinkle came to Butler as an assistant and stayed as head coach in three sports and athletic director until required to retire at 70 after almost 50 years in Butler blue.
I was lucky to be at the microphone for Hinkle's 500th win and for a major upset of then #1 Michigan and Cazzie Russell.
The building was re-named to honor Hinkle even before his career ended. It had been known simply at Butler Fieldhouse and was actually the first building on campus when Butler relocated from another part of the city. Other history? It was the site of the first American Basketball Association All Star game. Larry Brown was MVP. Yes, that is the same Larry Brown who has coached seemingly forever. I attended that game along with about 12,000 others.
So having the chance to watch Butler win the Big One in the fieldhouse so famed on the campus where my career was formed is too good to pass up.
Now if we can just all take part in one heck of a post game celebration that would top everything off.
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