BORN DURING "THE MADNESS"

I have a nephew Matt Quinn who was born on March 15,1990 during a "March madness" basketball game in Hartford,Connecticut. Matt is my sister Leeanne's first child and she went into labor while the University of Connecticut "Dream Team" was playing at the Hartford Civic Center. UCONN was able to play in Hartford even though they played some home games at the Hartford Civic Center because they played more than half of their home games at the Storrs, Connecticut campus.

Prior to the game there was a parade of fans, the UCONN marching band and cheerleaders from the Old State House to the the Civic Center. There was a song that year that was based on the song by the "Romantics" "What I Like About You". This song was changed to say "What I Like About UCONN" and throughout the song most of the current UCONN Husky players names were mentioned in the song. The Civic Center was sold out when UCONN played Boston University. I was there with my brother Scott,my friend John, and my Dad.

At the start of each Connecticut game the home town fans stand en mass and clap their hands in unison from before the opening tip off until UCONN scores their first point. I have never heard such a loud crowd in my life at a basketball game. The clapping in rhythm was truly thunderous, CLAP,CLAP,CLAP, CLAP. The UCONN 1990 team was known for their relentless "steal curtain" defence as they would press the other team with intense full court pressure and create numerous turnovers.

As mentioned, during all this basketball "madness" my sister was in labor. She said that the doctors at the hospital were busy watching the basketball action on the television instead of paying attention to her while she was in labor. Connecticut is a college basketball crazy state and the doctors were caught up in the action. My Dad was going back and forth to the pay phone during the game to see if there was any update from the hospital.

Tomorrow starts another chapter in the annual men's and women's college basketball NCAA Basketball championships. Both the UCONN basketball teams have a #1 seeding in their respective tournaments. In 2004 both the UCONN teams won the national championship; a feat which has never been accomplished prior to that year. How will this year turn out? Who knows ?

Let the "madness" begin.