As a Louisville Cardinal basketball fan, let me give you a choice of two experiences.
Would you rather be anticipating a third-round quarterfinal game in the NIT or would you have preferred winning the ACC regular season title, the conference tournament, and then losing to a 16 seed in the NCAA field?
Right now, the NIT, basketball's consolation prize, seems like a lot more fun.
And it has been fun. Two tightly packed rowdy crowds have watched the Cards win two postseason games.
This was a team that reportedly voted against playing in the NIT then midway through a game with Northern Kentucky, they rediscovered the three-point shot and the fun of playing in front of a raucous crowd.
After a season of empty seats and sometimes tepid fan interest, the Cards found some "real fans." People, who had been banished to the upper deck or couldn't afford a ticket, suddenly found themselves near the court.
Some veteran courtside observers called the atmosphere "electric." For one of the few times all year, the Cards actually had a home crowd.
With the upper deck closed off, the YUM Center was transformed to one of those little OVC gyms with a crowd that refused to sit down.
The TV announcers kept complimenting the Card fan base for the NIT madness. But they were confusing this crowd with the regular season.
These were "real" fans. They could have been guys that had been watching at their favorite bar. These were fans who were filling a season ticket seat that went unused during the regular season.
Sadly, some big-ticket sporting events are played before people, who can afford a ticket but don't care about the game. They attend the Super Bowl to lounge in a luxury box and see the halftime show.
But for two nights at the YUM, fans came to see a basketball game. No small talk here, just screaming at the top of their lungs. They came to see a home game and they behaved like a "real" a cheering section.
With the help of the NIT, perhaps Louisville fans have rediscovered their team and their reason for being "fans."
There is one more home game left in this season and for this team and David Padgett, there is one more chance for them to hear the real Louisville fans.
Go crazy Card fans. Go Crazy.
