Taylor Zeutenhorst wasn’t about to let his chance go.

In the eleventh inning, Zeutenhorst drilled a game-winning single to give the Hawkeyes a 2-1 victory over South Dakota State, their third walk-off win of the season.

Four Iowa pitchers combined to toss a gem of a game, allowing just three hits while tallying 19 strikeouts. Starter Calvin Matthews allowed the sole run, a home run to right field by Matt Johnson, an Ankeny, Iowa native. Matthews, who allowed only the one hit over 3.1 innings, would exit the game one batter later due to an undisclosed abdominal injury. Blake Hickman, who was scheduled to start against Creighton on Wednesday before that game was cancelled due to weather — would come on and fan eight Jackrabbit hitters over four innings, allowing just two hits and no runs.

A single off Hickman in the eighth inning was the final hit of the game for the Jackrabbits, as the duo of Jared Mandel and Tyler Radtke threw the final 3.2 innings, allowing no hits with seven strikeouts. Radtke was awarded the win for his efforts on the mound. Iowa’s relief pitcher battled out of trouble in three of the game’s final four innings, as the Jackrabbits left runners in scoring position in the 8th, 9th, and 10th innings.

Despite the stellar pitching from the Hawkeyes, Iowa trailed the game 1-0 into the seventh inning, as Jackrabbit starter Adam Bray was excellent on the mound opposing the Hawkeyes. Over seven innings, Bray struck out nine Hawkeyes without surrendering a walk.

In the seventh, the inning began when Nick Day was hit by the third pitch of the at-bat. The next hitter, Eric Toole, hit a deep triple to center field that bounced off the glove of South Dakota State’s Zach Coppola, who was attempting to make a Willie Mays-esque grab. Two batters later, Toole was caught trying to score on a grounder to second, keeping the game’s 1-1 score.

Iowa’s winning run in the 11th inning came with two outs in the inning, and the bases loaded. Day was hit by a pitch to begin the inning, the third time on Friday that Day had been hit. After a sacrifice bunt from Toole, Jake Mangler singled to left field, advancing Day to third. Mangler’s hit, a looping fly ball down the line, froze Day on a hit that otherwise would have scored the winning run. The bases became loaded on an intentional walk to Jake Yacinich. With the bases loaded, Dan Potempa popped out to the catcher, leading to Zeutenhorst’s heroics.

The Hawkeyes and South Dakota State will complete their series tomorrow at Duane Banks Field, as Sunday’s scheduled game was moved up to Saturday in anticipation of inclement weather on Sunday.

The post Hawkeyes Walk Off, Top Jackrabbits in 11 appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Lost at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but as the technical “road” team? Check.

Lost to the defending national runner-up? Check.

Lost by double digits? Check.

Rough night beyond the arc? Check.

A year after dropping a 74-57 decision to Notre Dame, in a game where the Hawkeyes missed all 11 of their three-point attempts, the sixth-seeded Iowa women saw their season come to an end at the hands of the third-seeded Louisville Cardinals, falling to the nation’s No. 4 team 83-53.

The Hawkeyes missed their first 15 three-point shots, with only a Melissa Dixon three-pointer with 2:21 to go saving the Hawkeyes from another three-less game in Round 2. The 1 for 16 performance was far below Iowa’s season average of 34%. Louisville, on the other hand, shot 53.1% from the field and knocked down nine three-pointers.

Iowa had played the Cardinals even, 11-11 through the first four and a half minutes of the contest. Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said Louisville’s defensive effort, as well as her own team’s inability to score, allowed the Cardinals to take control.

“I felt like for some reason we went away from things that were working for us in the first few minutes of the game,” Bluder said. “They did a great job defensively, and I thought they did a nice job of really keeping the ball out of Sam (Logic)’s hands.”

Louisville’s defensive effort forced 19 turnovers from the Hawkeyes, including nine from the typically sure-handed Logic. The Cardinals capitalized on Iowa’s mistakes, scoring 20 points off Iowa miscues. Louisville’s own star guard, Shoni Schimmel, had no such issues, scoring 26 points, dishing out 7 assists, and recording 5 steals and 5 rebounds.

The brightest spot for the Hawkeyes was the performance of freshman Ally Disterhoft. The Iowa City native poured in 15 points, and grabbed 8 rebounds to cap a sensational rookie campaign, in which she posted the second highest freshman scoring total in school history, behind only Jaime Printy.

The Cardinals return home to the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky for the Sweet 16 on Sunday afternoon. Louisville will battle seventh-seeded LSU with the winner facing the Tennessee-Maryland victor for a trip to the Final Four.

“It’s a big advantage, but it isn’t going to guarantee a win,” Louisville head coach Jeff Walz said of playing at home. “The familiarity you get from being able to play at home, I hope we can take advantage of it.”

As for the Hawkeyes, Iowa finishes with a 27-9 record, the highest win total in the Division-I coaching career of Lisa Bluder, and the second-highest in Hawkeye history. Iowa will likely return four of its five starters in 2014-15, losing Theairra Taylor. Bluder was at a loss for words when asked to describe Taylor’s career at Iowa.

“The team loves her,” said Bluder, who was overcome with emotion. “We wanted this for her really badly.”

Taylor said her memories of Iowa basketball won’t be defined by a disappointing loss in her final game. Rather, she stated shewill remember the successes, and bonds she forged as a Hawkeye.

“I’ve played with so many players, and they still contact me now,” Taylor said. “Building those relationships that last longer than those basketball memories, that’s what I’ll remember most.”

The post NCAA Tournament: Cardinals Bury Iowa As Hawkeyes Exit in Familiar Fashion appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The Hawkeyes haven’t been back since.

Now, Lisa Bluder and the sixth-seeded Hawkeyes have the opportunity to change that after a convincing 87-65 win over No. 11 Marist Sunday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes led by just eight at halftime, but exploded in the second half, knocking down eight three-pointers on 12 attempts, and shooting 62.1 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes.

All five Hawkeye starters scored in double figures, buoyed by  22 points from senior Theairra Taylor and a 21-point effort by center Bethany Doolittle, who was referred to multiple times as a “stud” by Marist head coach Brian Giorgis. Point guard Samantha Logic finished one rebound shy of a triple-double, which would have been just the 14th triple-double in NCAA Tournament history.

Three players scored a team-high 12 points for Marist, who was appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the ninth consecutive year — Emma O’Connor, Sydney Coffey, and Madeline Blais.

Giorgis said the Hawkeyes refused to let Marist pull another first-round upset, forcing the Red Foxes to surrender either the post or the perimeter.

“They were just relentless,” Giorgis said of the Hawkeyes. “It’s the nightmare you are afraid of when they have all five people that can score, four of them shoot the three and one of them is a stud inside. What do you take away?”

Taylor’s 22-point output was marked by five three-pointers, a career-high for the senior who entered the night hoping it wouldn’t be her last as a Hawkeye. Taylor said the presence of Doolittle opened up shots on the perimeter for Iowa.

“Beth was demanding so much attention that we were wide open,” Taylor said. “We didn’t want to keep driving in and getting charge fouls, so we started to let it go and keep building our confidence.”

Doolittle added that her size advantage — the junior was the tallest player on the court — helped draw Marist’s defense to the post and open up the three-point shot, especially in the second half.

“From the get-go, we had a little bit of a height advantage down low, and we trying to take advantage of it,” Doolittle said. “It definitely helped us later on to get people on the perimeter open for their shots.”

Tuesday will be Iowa’s seventh trip to the second round of the tournament since 1996. The first six — 1997, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2010, and 2013 — all resulted in losses.

In a season marked by history for Bluder – the win was Iowa’s 27th, the highest under Bluder and the second-highest in school history — a win over Louisville Tuesday night would make even more of it.

“It’s something that we would love to accomplish,” Bluder said of advancing to the second weekend. “Who wouldn’t want to be in the Sweet 16?”

The Hawkeyes’ quest for the elusive Sweet 16 berth will take place Tuesday night against the third-seeded Louisville Cardinals at Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 8:30 p.m.

The post NCAA Tournament: Hawkeyes Earn Chance at History appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The first part of that path was completed Sunday evening, as the third-seeded Cardinals (31-4) blew past No. 14 Idaho  (25-9) 88-42 in an NCAA Tournament First Round game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It is the fifth tournament game in 2014 to be decided by more than 35 points.

Five players reached double figures for Louisville, who received a three-seed from the NCAA Tournament committee despite being ranked No. 4 in the final Top 25 poll. Leading the way was junior forward Sara Hammond with 16 points. Adding a double-double of ten points and 11 rebounds was senior guard Shoni Schimmel. Idaho was paced by sophomore center Ali Forde, who scored 16 points.

Louisville struggled early with the Vandals, who were making their third NCAA Tournament appearance as champions of the Western Athletic Conference. Idaho led 6-5 six minutes into the game, but Louisville’s stingy defense and athleticism overwhelmed the Vandals, as the Cardinals went on a 21-7 run in the middle of the first half, and finished the frame on a 10-0 run to open up a 40-21 halftime lead. Louisville would dominate the second half as well, cruising to the 46-point victory.

Louisville head coach Jeff Walz said he was pleased with the way his team responded to a slow start.

“I thought we fought through the first four or five minutes of the game where we did not play extremely well, but we played hard,” Walz said. “We finally got things under control, we relaxed, and we did some good things both offensively and defensively.”

The Cardinals, although not possessing a great size advantage, dominated the Vandals on the glass, recording a 42-23 edge in rebounding. The Louisville defense was also able to impose its will on Idaho, forcing 18 turnovers.

Idaho head coach Jon Newlee said an underdog like the Vandals needed a near-perfect offensive game to top the powerhouse Cardinals.

“If we were going to get in this game, and pull an upset, we had to play a lot better on the offensive end than we did tonight,”  Newlee said.

Shoni Schimmel said Louisville’s dominance on the glass was something she was  focused on, and was something needed for wins in the Tournament.

“That’s how you survive in post-season play — rebounding, defending, and taking care of the ball,” Schimmel said. “I took it kind of personal because I want to win.”

Walz addressed the possibility of playing at home should the Cardinals win in Iowa City on Tuesday, stating that he hopes the tournament will reach a point where games are played at neutral sites, even though the Cardinals would benefit from the arrangement if they win.

“If we’re fortunate enough to win, we’re going back home to play in a regional, which blows my mind,” Walz said. “I’m glad… we’re only doing it for one year, because that’s not what should happen.”

The Cardinals will face the winner of No. 6 Iowa and No. 11 Marist Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. back at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The post NCAA Tournament: Louisville A Win Away From Home appeared first on KRUI Radio.

Illinois head coach John Groce, on the other hand, used words such as resiliency, toughness, and heart to describe the Fighting Illini.

It’s easy to see how a close, back-and-forth game would go the Illini’s way.

After Iowa’s overtime loss to Michigan State back on January 28, McCaffery questioned his team’s toughness, placing the blame for the loss to the Spartans on the Hawkeyes’ lack of it. At the time, it seemed like a one-game lapse that had angered the Iowa head coach. After all, the Hawkeyes were 16-5, even after the loss.

In retrospect, McCaffery seemed to unknowingly foreshadow the reason his team would fall apart in the final two weeks of the season.

In Iowa’s skid of five losses in six games, the Hawkeyes have repeatedly displayed a lack of toughness, and it’s the reason the Hawkeyes will play on Thursday in the Big Ten Tournament, and quite possibly wear dark jerseys in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Iowa’s defensive woes have been well-documented over the past few weeks. The Hawkeyes don’t lack the ability to play great defense — the final 33 minutes of Saturday’s game prove it. The Hawkeyes only allowed 46 points over the last 33:49 of the game, a total that would result in just 54 points if held for a full 40 minutes.

Iowa’s defensive woes aren’t physical. It’s a mental issue. It’s said often that defense is mostly effort and toughness, and Iowa has shown to lack it at many points throughout this stretch. When players such as Will Sheehey and Charles Buggs are scoring career-highs on you, that is a problem.

The Hawkeyes are an easily rattled team. The last time Iowa produced in an end-of-game scenario, Todd Lickliter was still the coach, and Cyrus Tate was the player that produced it. It’s an issue that has plagued the Hawkeyes for years, and shows no signs of being remedied.

There is still time for the Hawkeyes to recover from this skid. Even if Iowa loses to either Northwestern or Purdue on Thursday in Indianapolis, an NCAA Tournament berth is all but assured. If Iowa can figure it out between now and then, Iowa has the talent and depth to win in the Big Dance.

They just need to find the toughness necessary to do so.

The post Iowa’s Lack of Toughness Strikes Again in Loss to Illinois appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The Hawkeyes accomplished that by punishing the Illini around the basket, outscoring Illinois 36-10 in the paint en route to a 69-55 win Thursday night at a pinked-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Center Bethany Doolittle used her size advantage to record a game-high 16 points, despite only playing 22 minutes due to foul trouble. Freshman Ally Disterhoft added 13 points, with 11 from Theairra Taylor and Melissa Dixon.

Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said Iowa was able to exploit Illinois’ zone in the paint, and it led to easy points for the Hawkeyes.

“We did a great job of getting the ball inside,” Bluder said. “When we got the ball inside, they were pretty wide-open shots, and I do think us having a good knowledge of the type of zone defense that they were playing helps because we know what to look for.”

Iowa dominated the glass as well, outrebounding Illinois 40-23, including a 15-5 edge on the offensive end. The Hawkeyes were led in rebounding by Disterhoft, who notched a double-double with 10 rebounds.

Bluder also stated she was pleased with Iowa’s ball movement, as the Hawkeyes assisted on 19 of their 24 field goals. The Iowa head coach stated the assists are a trademark of Hawkeye basketball.

That is our style. We are going to pass the ball for better shots, and we’re going to give up shots to get better shots,” Bluder said. “That’s Iowa basketball. That’s what we do.”

The Hawkeyes led for the final 36 minutes, despite shooting just 4 of 18 from three-point distance. Iowa sharpshooter Melissa Dixon hit three second-half threes to offset an 0-for-6 start, three-pointers that aided the Hawkeyes in pulling away from Illinois, who trailed by just nine at halftime.

It was the 20th win of the season for Iowa, a mark that has been achieved eight times in Lisa Bluder’s historic tenure as the head coach of the Hawkeyes. Bluder said that while the NCAA Tournament may not put a premium on the 20-win plateau, it is still an important milestone.

The Hawkeyes remained in fourth place in the Big Ten, and now head on the road for two critical games for Big Ten tournament positioning. Iowa will take on Purdue on Sunday, and will meet Michigan in Ann Arbor next Saturday. With wins in these two road games, the Hawkeyes would cement themselves with a bye in the conference tournament, and would improve thier seeding in both the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments.

Bluder said while the Hawkeyes recognize the difficulty of the task at hand, they relish the road opportunities.

“I feel like our team is playing well on the road, and we won at (Purdue’s) place last year,” Bluder said. “I know they’re in the top 25, but I think we play best against those types of teams.”

The post Hawkeye Women Dominate Paint, Pound Illinois appeared first on KRUI Radio.

But the Hawkeyes have not been able to figure out the riddle that is the Cornhuskers.

Iowa lost to Nebraska for the seventh consecutive time Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, dropping a 80-67 decision to the Huskers. The loss dropped the Hawkeyes to 5-4 in Big Ten play, tied for fourth in the conference.

Nebraska went on a 26-8 run in the middle of the game, spanning the final ten minutes of the first half and the first two minutes of the second half, turning a 19-19 tie into a commanding 47-29 lead for the Cornhuskers.

Hawkeye head coach Lisa Bluder was visably frustrated with the Hawkeyes’ performance, as Iowa allowed Nebraska guard Tear’a Laudermill to score a career-high 26 points, while All Big Ten forward Jordan Hooper added 25 points and 13 rebounds.

“We just could not stay with her, we did not have an answer for her,” Bluder said of Laudermill. ” And we all know how good Hooper is, and we could not shut her down, or even slow her down.”

The Hawkeyes, who entered Saturday as the top-scoring team in the Big Ten, were frustrated by the defensive approach of the Cornhuskers, especially on Melissa Dixon. Dixon did not score a point, missing all six of her shots, including five threes.

Nebraska head coach Connie Yori said defending Dixon was a major part of the Huskers’ game plan entering Iowa City

“We just tried not to leave her, and not give her any good looks,” Yori said. “She also missed a couple shots that she normally makes, but that’s basketball.”

Iowa’s offense came primarily from Samantha Logic, who poured in 22 points for the Hawkeyes, including five three-pointers. Logic hit four of her five triples in the second half in an effort to rally. The Hawkeyes, however, would come no closer than 11 in the second half.

Logic said she could feel her long-distance shot was on target Saturday, and felt it would be a detriment not to shoot the ball.

“The whole game, they were denying Melissa, and giving me the three,” Logic said. “After you hit a couple, you are feeling pretty confident, and you are kind of hurting your team if you’re feeling good and not taking those shots.”

When asked to explain the Huskers’ string of victories over the Hawkeyes, Yori could not come up with a response

“I don’t know, it’s kind of odd, frankly,” Yori said. “Iowa has been a very good basketball team, and we’ve played good basketball against them, and the vast majority of those games have been close.”

The Hawkeyes now travel to State College to take on the Big Ten’s top team, Penn State, on Tuesday. The Lady Lions are ranked No. 12 in the nation, and Bluder said it is a game that has the Hawkeyes in a vulnerable position.

“We obviously know we’re up against the wall going to Penn State,” Bluder said. “We’ve played well on the road, we’ve played better on the road than we have at home, so hopefully that’ll pull through.”

The post Hawkeye Women Fall to Nebraska Again appeared first on KRUI Radio.

The No. 10 Hawkeyes exploded in the second half to avoid that trap, running away in the final period for a 76-50 victory over Northwestern at a nearly-full Welsh-Ryan Arena.

A lackluster first half saw Iowa turn the ball over ten times, and allowed Northwestern to slow the pace of the game, dictating the tempo and frustrating the Hawkeyes. Iowa would maintain a slim 30-24 lead at the end of the frame.

“What Northwestern forces you to do is that, if you don’t match their intensity level, you are going to get beat,” Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery said.

“We played really hard, and I thought in the first half, we were playing the kind of game we needed to play,” Northwestern head coach Chris Collins said. “You are not going to hold Iowa in the 40’s, (because) they are really long, and really athletic. We just are not at that level right now.”

The Hawkeye burst began three minutes in to the second half, as Iowa was holding a four-point lead, 34-30, over the Wildcats. Over the final 17 minutes, the Hawkeyes outscored Northwestern 42-20, pushing the tempo of the game to one much more suitable to the Hawkeyes.

McCaffery credited the Hawkeye surge to one factor — defense.

“It was simply this: we got stops,” McCaffery said. “In the first half, they scored at a more consistent pace, which allowed them to get their defense back.”

Leading the Hawkeye spark was Devyn Marble, who scored 14 points in the game’s final 20 minutes after a scoreless first session.

McCaffery said Marble was able to keep his confidence and composure to lead the Hawkeyes in the second half.

“Dev did not have a particularly good first half,” he said, “but he is incredibly confident in himself, and has the ability to take it and come back, and the way he played in the second half is indicative of who he is.”

Collins added that he thought Marble was among the top players in the conference.

“I like the fact that he didn’t have it going early, but he didn’t force the action,” Collins said. “He let the game come to him, and he kept going and found a way.”

Gabe Olaseni added another 14 points for the Hawkeyes, while Northwestern’s Drew Crawford had a game-high 20 points.

The Hawkeyes turn their attention to No. 3 Michigan State, who comes to Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Tuesday night. The Hawkeyes have not beaten the Spartans in their last six tries, dating back to a 72-52 Hawkeye win on February 2, 2011.

McCaffery said while the Hawkeyes recognize the importance of the battle with the Spartans, preparation for Tuesday’s showdown will be no different.

“We’re all aware of what Michigan State has done this year, and what they have done under coach Izzo,” the Iowa coach said. “It will be a phenomenal atmosphere, and we will be ready.”

The post Iowa Overcomes Slow First Half to Top Wildcats appeared first on KRUI Radio.

I remember watching Tim Tebow win the Heisman Trophy in 2007 as a sophomore for the Florida Gators. At that time, like many, I thought that Tebow would be one of the best stories to ever make it into the NFL. With his persistent work ethic, open faith, and personable attitude, it seemed that Tim Tebow had it all.

When Tebow was selected in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos many, including myself, were waiting to see just what this gunslinger from Florida could do amongst the most elite football players in the world. Although I am in no way a Denver Broncos fan, while watching the Broncos struggle with Kyle Orton throughout the 2010-2011 season, I hoped that eventually Tebow would be given the chance to show what he was made of.

Tebow finally got the call in 2011 when he started under center for Denver against the Miami Dolphins and rallied from a 15-0 deficit to win 18-15 in overtime. Throughout that 2011 season, Tebowmania had emerged across the United States. Through thrilling games and his on field fire to win, Tebow lead the Broncose to what many called a playoff upset in the playoffs over the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, the next week they would lose the following week the New England Patriots.

As the 2012 offseason began, the big news of that offseason was about Peyton Manning. When Manning was signed by the Broncos, many knew that in fact Tebow’s reign in Denver was over.

As the offseason unfolded, Tebow was traded to the New York Jets with the thought that he would be used in the famed wildcat formation and on special teams. However, it seemed that as soon as Tebow stepped foot into The Big Apple that the circus had entered town. As Mark Sanchez, the starting quarterback for the Jets, continued to struggle throughout the season, the Jets organization felt that Sanchez could turn his terrible play around, only to find out that it could only get worse (Google butt fumble for proof). Tim Tebow experienced little playing time in the 2012 season with the New York Jets as he only attempted 8 passes and rushed 32 times.

With the conclusion of the Jets season the question remained as to who would be the quarterback at the start of the 2013 season. On April 26, 2013 the Jets drafted Geno Smith from West Virginia putting the quarterback count to six on the Jets roster. Three days later, Tim Tebow was cut from the team, ending his tenure with the Jets.

The criticism of Tim Tebow is fairly obvious to people who have seen him play in the NFL. Tebows release is one of, if not, the slowest in the National Football League. With multiple attempts to fix throwing mechanics and suggested position changes, Tebow seems to remain a quarterback at heart. Another complaint about Tebow is inconsistency. In 2011 Tebow started 14 games and compiled a 72.9 quarterback rating, but at times looked hesitant in his decision making.

What the New York Jets did to Tim Tebow is downright sickening. The Jets seemed to use Tebow as a marketing ploy and not as a NFL player. If the Jets truly had no use for Tim Tebow to begin with, why did they even sign him? That question may never be answered, but NFL fans across the country should realize, the Jets had no regard for Tebow as a person, or a player. The timing of the Jets decision makes it almost impossible for Tebow to find a spot on a NFL roster.

Is this the nature of the game? Although Tebow may be inconsistent, his will to better himself and give 100% on and off the field to improve his game makes him a player worth having on your team. As a football fan, I hope that a team that a team with a little more class than the New York Jets can sign Tebow and mold him into the quarterback he knows he can be. Until then, I hope Tebow continues to strive in his faith and continues to pursue the game he loves.

The post The Nature of the Game: Tim Tebow appeared first on KRUI Radio.

It was a Wednesday night in April; just a few days removed from a bomb that blew open the heart of Boston and changed countless lives forever. Thousands of Boston Bruin fans filled in TD Garden as their beloved Bruins returned to the ice to provide a source of escape, unity, and perseverance for a city facing the aftermath of such a heartless act.

And then as one, athletes and fans in attendance stood up as one city to the evil that reared its ugly head earlier in the week. As the Star Spangled Banner began, as tradition in American sporting events, the citizens of Boston proved that a sports team isn’t just a business looking to profit off of fans, win championships, or make national news day in and day out. The team is a member of the city. And so are the fans. As those 17,000+ fans in TD Garden sang in unity, the song neared its end, and those famous words “that our flag was still there” were sung, a realization dawned upon me: Boston is still there.

As a lifelong Iowan, I have never been able to feel that ultimate connection to a professional sports team. Sure, I may root for my beloved Iowa Hawkeyes year in and year out, but as a kid growing up on a farm in North Iowa, you had to figure out who you wanted to be a fan of. Today, cheering as a Dallas Cowboys fan, or cheering from thousands of miles away for the Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics, there is still that connection missing that links my home to my team.

As fans, we may often feel that we are simply patrons to the game and team we love, but this week has proven that it is so much more than that. Whether you are that Cubs fan, thinking it is your year only to end up saying “well, there is always next year”, or that 2004 Boston Red Sox fan feeling the years of struggle, pain, and misfortune finally hearing Joe Buck utter those words “Back to Foulke. Red Sox fans have longed to hear it: the Boston Red Sox are World Champions!” Every fan feels that they are in fact, a part of the team.

Regardless of whom you cheer for, the pains, joys, or the mass of confusion that one may endure, fans stay true to their team, for the game, and this week most of all, for their city.

As those few minutes passed by Wednesday, April 17, 2013, Boston knew that they were together. They knew that although the game would be over in a few hours, they would get through this time of hell. They knew that whether you are an athlete, fan, or did not even care about sports in general, if you were a member of that city, you stood as an equal. In that moment, 17,565 people came together, as one.

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