http://blogs.insidelacrosse.com/2008/05/22/duke-lacrosse-travel-to-boston/#more-1540
I am not able to go to the Final Four in Boston this year, or probably next year either. As far as future Final Fours go, it depends on where they are located as well as if I have any extra $$$ to make the trip. Its definitely an experience I highly recommend. I have been to all three Final Fours at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, twice when I was living in the Charm City, and I made the trip from Arizona last year. I went to the first Final Four in Philly in 2005, I also made the trip from Arizona back then. While I can proudly say I saw Benson Erwin’s OT goal against UVA, saw Navy come close to beating Syracuse, and saw the great title game between JHU and Duke last year, I had some great moments away from the games. Here are my favorites:
5. Intermission beers in 2004 and 2005-The 2004 Championship was in Baltimore and I went to the Division III/II games with my friend/roommate at the time, then met up with his sister and her husband. We saw Salisbury win another title, then went to Pickle’s Pub next to Camden Yards for a beer before going back to see the DII game. The next year I met up with some friends in Philly and we went to the bar located at the Phillies baseball stadium for a beer after watching Salisbury win again. We didn’t even go to the DII game because we were occupied with a marathon party the rest of the day…more on that later.
4. Getting my luggage the night after the Division I Semi-finals in 2007-Arriving in Baltimore in 2007, probably the worse time to lose my luggage, even worse than the time in college when my luggage went missing with a bunch of Christmas presents. Luckily I put my game tickets in my carry-on. I ended up driving around Northeast Baltimore for two hours in the middle of the night looking for a pharmacy to get emergency toiletries. I ended up going to the games the next day in clothes I had been wearing for two days, and probably not smelling very good. I like lax so much that it didn’t bother me, I got to see that great Cornell vs Duke game, and my bag showed up to my hotel later that night
3. Going out for drinks with my buddies in 2004-This was when I met some friends for the Division I semi-finals. We got to sit together behind one of the goals about five rows up. Watched Princeton vs Navy and JHU vs ‘Cuse, then we went to the Inner Harbor for something to eat. My buddies girlfriend at the time was working at a restaurant and we got free shots. I had been working on a streak of 22 straight days of having at least one drink and my liver was hurting, but I was a good sport and joined them.
2. Hosting a Final Four party in 2003 at my apartment building which was located about a mile away from M&T Bank Stadium-My college girlfriend and I decided to try living together, she was in medical school at Maryland-Baltimore and got an apartment next to the school and real close to Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium. It was a pretty nice building with a deck on the roof for special events. I reserved the deck after the DI semi-finals so my buddies and I could play beer pong and BBQ after watching UVA beat Maryland and Hopkins beat Syracuse.
1. Meeting a Duke Assistant Coach in the bathroom of a crappy bar the night before the 2005 championship game-The same day I went to see the DIII championship with my friends in Philly, we met up with some other friends and some random people to drink in the Holiday Inn parking lot, then eventually go to some bar that I could never find again in the middle of Philly. This was a DIVE! There were fat people doing karaoke, and all sorts of weird stuff. Not exactly a classy joint. So I went to use the bathroom and there was a guy in there. He asked me if I was going to the championship game, I said yes. He asked me who I was going for. I told him Hopkins because I used to live in Baltimore. He told me “Well, I will be on the Duke sideline.” Talk about awesome! One of the main reasons why I like Duke lacrosse now. I don’t even know who that guy was since the left when Mike Pressler was fired. It was perfect moment for my night that ended up going until 3am.
