We watched the game at Liberty Hall, which is a super old theatre downtown on Mass St. It was an amazing atmosphere, almost like being at the actual game. The alma mater was sang before the game, chants were shouted in unison while we watched, moans and groans were heard during the agonizing moments of the game, and you could feel the complete elation that pulsated through the building while the crowd slowly sang the rock chalk chant once it was obvious we were going to win the game!
When we stepped outside, Mass street was filled with jovial fans. Phones were seen held up everywhere you looked with people taking pictures and video of the exciting moment. This was a float that came down the street. These people were prepared for victory!
Score board on the float......
Back of the float....
I thought it befitting to take a picture of the street sign with the famous Fieldhouse quote above it, " Pay heed all who enter.....beware of the Phog!"
People were on almost all of the roof tops.
The police simply stood aside, high fiving passers- by People were allowed to drink in the streets and cars could not even get through the masses of people that filled them.
There were people of all ages celebrating. Babies all the way up to grandparents. No destruction of property, no hooliganism ( is that even a word?), just pure ( ok, so maybe I smelled a little marijuana here and there, but at least that keeps those participating in that mellow) joyous celebration.
This was the pedal hopper. A bar on wheels. The drinkers actually had to pedal to keep it moving. Hilarious!
This was the same intersection that was in the first picture, just taken looking north instead of south, only this was two and a half hours after that first picture!! The crowd had not even began to dwindle. So, when the Hawks won the national championship in 2008, I was 8 months pregnant with Bennett, jumping up and down in my living room, wishing I were in Lawrence. When they made it to the final in 2003 (losing to Syracuse) I had watched all the tournament games with my college friends in Lawrence. Now, don't get me wrong, that was a blast, but for some reason I don't have vivid memories or even any pictures of that (I may or may not have consumed a little too much alcohol celebrating those victories and agonizing over our eventual defeat). This time as an older and oh so much wiser adult, I feel like I actually appreciated the experience more than I did in my younger years. Yes, I will be returning to Lawrence this Saturday for the final four game!
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