Lopez: There’s nothing like a trip to the NCAA Tournament – with Dad
It has been my dad’s tradition since 1997.
And for the first 18 years of his trip, the answer was always the same to me: “Not until you turn 21.”
For the last 22 years, either the third or last week in March, my dad and his friends travel to various cities to watch the NCAA Division I Basketball Tournament.
They try to go to different cities but have wound up in Chicago, New Orleans, and San Antonio multiple times.
Watching college basketball, going to museums and sightseeing, and just hanging out with the fellas, they say.
It’s a tradition I finally got invited to in 2015 when we went to Seattle.
It seems I am a welcomed addition as I have been on four trips since: St. Louis in 2016, Memphis in 2017, Pittsburgh last year, and Louisville last week.
On Thursday, we took a tour of Churchill Downs. I am not the biggest horse racing fan but I always watch the Kentucky Derby. Did you know Churchill Downs was right next to the University of Louisville and not in the countryside?
Later that night was the Sweet 16 games. First up was Purdue and Tennessee. Then it was Oregon and Virginia. Oregon had sophomore forward Kenny Wooten, who played at Manteca High.
Nothing beats watching college basketball where fans are decked out in their gear, the bands are playing the same fight songs, and each basket has fans on the edge of their seats.
I won’t give you the play-by-play of the rest of my trip but I saw some great basketball games (two overtime thrillers), ate some fantastic food and traveled throughout the state.
To me, these trips are more than sports, which is hard to fathom since we look forward to the teams and players we see every year.
No, these trips are about spending time with my Dad.
I grew up watching Dodgers games on the couch, going to USC football games, and reading the sports page from an early age. Sports has always been a part of my life and if wasn’t for my dad, I doubt I would be a sports reporter.
Sports brings people together. This trip is something I hope to do one day with my children. And hopefully they do it with their children’s children.
A tradition that I pouted at in the beginning because I couldn’t go is now one of my favorite things of the year.
We already are planning 2020. Houston for the South Regional looks like the goal.
Do you have any sports tradition trips with your family?
I would love to hear them. Email me at jalopez@modbee.com
This story was originally published April 4, 2019 at 12:50 PM.
