I got back home Wednesday from a trip “back East,” where I visited relatives and friends in my hometown of Louisville and attended the Women’s Final Four in Indianapolis.
I’ve admitted, unabashedly, to being a big fan of women in long shorts, and the Final Four exceeded my expectations.
For one thing, I sure didn’t expect Texas A&M and Notre Dame to be playing in the championship game. Like almost everyone else, I thought it would be Stanford and Connecticut. But Notre Dame dumped UConn by nine on Sunday, and, in Sunday’s other game, Kansas City’s Tyra White made a driving lay-up with three seconds left to give Texas A&M a one-point victory over Stanford.
In Tuesday’s finale, White and another Kansas City girl, Danielle Adams, combined for 48 points, and the Aggies prevailed by six points.
One of the joys of the trip was stumbling upon the Irish’s beachhead — the Ram Restaurant & Brewery on Illinois Street in downtown Indianapolis.
From the Ram and also from Conseco Fieldhouse, then, here are some scenes from tournament weekend.
Sunday, pre-game "warmup"
Is that a "hook-em" signal? Nah, must be some secret Irish sign.
What a beautiful eye
Carrying the team on her back
Outside Conseco Fieldhouse
The Program
Nice hat
Arriving for Tuesday's championship game
Texas-sized presentation of the colors
Just another green-and-gold-clad fan -- Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels
How will it end?
Like this...
When Title IX was passed, my husband was very agitated, alarmed that financing women’s sports would decrease the financial support for men’s sports, and besides, no one would every really be interested in watching women’s basketball games — there was absolutely no potential audience for women’s sports.
As far as women’s sports have come, Peg, there’s still a long way to go to reach anything approaching even footing. Monday night’s men’s championship game between Butler and Connecticut had a TV audience of about 20 million, while the women’s final on Tuesday drew an audience of 3.8 million. And virtually all of the “macho” fellows who listen to sports talk radio — Powwwered by Sports! — have no interest whatsoever in women’s sports…consider it a waste of time.
I’d like to see that change, but it doesn’t really bother me. For one thing, as long as a majority of men disregard women’s sports, the ticket prices stay reasonable. On the street, I paid a total of $100 for semifinals and championship game tickets with face values of $87.50 each. I thought it was a pretty good deal, especially considering that I saw three of the best games I’ve ever witnessed.
I had a great time at the finals. As a lesbian, there is nothing better than women’s basketball and it is great to see my sisters being able to be so open about our sexuality.
It is quite a scene, for sure, Rachel. For an uninitiated, heterosexual male (maybe female, too), it might be a bit of a shock to the senses…It took me a year or so of going to the Final Four to get used to it, but I fully appreciate it now. For lesbian fans, it’s something of a celebration of identity, in the same sense that the Kentucky Derby is part fashion show…By the way, I love the Derby, too. The women’s Final Four and the Derby are truly distinctive events, where people watching and appreciating the crowd is every bit as important as the action on court and on track.