Perhaps it's the absolute of sports--you either win or your lose--that causes fans and those in the media to always want to compare, i.e., who's the best player, what was the best team, what's the best game. Sports has always lent itself to comparisons so it should be no surprise that, in the wake of yesterday's classic battle between Kansas and Missouri, friends and family have asked me "where does this rate?" or "is this the best you've seen?"
The answer to "is it the best game you've seen?" is "no"--that honor goes to the 2005 Kansas win over Oklahoma State, the two powerhouses that year in the Big 12, who went toe-to-toe for 40 minutes with numerous lead changes before KU prevailed, 81-79. Yesterday's game had more drama but is wasn't as well-played as that KU-OSU battle in '05.
Was yesterday the best "time" I've ever had in Allen Fieldhouse? Again, I'd have to say "no," as I can recall several games which, because of circumstances, were better "times" than yesterday. The other 19-point comeback--in a 1995 win over UCLA--comes to mind for how swift that comeback occurred before Kansas won going away, 85-70. The 1989 win over Kentucky, 150-95, was a better "time" than yesterday, for the obvious reasons of the score margin. Other great "times" include the 2005 overtime win over Georgia Tech or the 2003 "Nick Collison" game when KU beat Texas and ESPN's Dick Vitale gave Collison a standing ovation for his effort.
No, the mantle I'll place upon yesterday is "most satisfying game ever in Allen Fieldhouse." What's the difference? The Oklahoma State game in 2005 was impressive given the quality of play, the evenness of the teams, and the back-and-forth lead changes. What yesterday was about went much deeper than a game--this was about winning the last regularly scheduled battle between the two schools, this was Kansas wanting to give Missouri a boot out the door to the SEC, this was about upholding the pride of a school (Kansas) which feels it's been improperly labeled as the one responsible for stopping the Border War rivalry.
Sure, this game was ultra-important given a win would assure Kansas of at least a share of an unprecedented eighth straight conference championship. But, KU has been in that position before on their home floor--the 2005 Oklahoma State game being one and the 2007 Texas game being another.
No, this one went to the psyche of what it means to be a Kansas fan or a Missouri fan. Kansas fans wanted to end the rivalry with a win, thus avenging the late game loss in Columbia and pushing the all-time record in this series to 172-95, plus gaining the satisfaction of sending MU on its way to its new conference home. Missouri fans wanted the win in hopes of sharing the title with Kansas but, perhaps even more importantly, ending the rivalry with the final two wins thus promoting a theory that Kansas would have to play MU again, given the sour taste of being swept in the last season of this 100+ year old series.
I had previously thought that the 1990 game between these two teams in Lawrence, when Kansas was #1 and Missouri was #3, was the biggest ever. And, I will never forget the sound coming out of Allen Fieldhouse when I walked up to the old barn on that February night 22 years ago.
Yesterday was bigger for all the reasons stated above. The din in the building has never been louder--never--than prior to the opening tip. And, unofficially, the decibel level when Thomas Robinson made a basket to pull within one late in regulation was 127--the single loudest game moment in a college basketball arena ever.
J. Brady McCullough (former writer for the Kansas City Star) tweeted during the game, when Missouri had its 19 point lead, "I've said it many times and I'll say it again--there is no place more uncomfortable than a worried Allen Fieldhouse." And, for approximately 20 minutes of yesterday's game, the storied venue was indeed, worried. That worry spoke volumes about just how important this game was to the 16,150 Kansas fans in the building. (The remaining 150 tickets were occupied by MU fans behind their bench, in the southwest corner, and smattered throughout the arena.)
This was a game for the ages. This was the way this rivalry needed to end--with overtime, with a winning coach showing uncharacteristic emotion about the win, with opposing fans talking about the officiating but, most importantly, with both teams leaving everything out on the court. Ultimately, even with all the off-court drama, this one was about the guys playing between the lines and the exhibition of grit, determination and guts they displayed yesterday. It's why college basketball is the best team sport ever. It's only fitting, then, that this game and rivalry ended on James Naismith Court.
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