A lot happened last night in college basketball.
Well, specifically, Duke played North Carolina, there were a lot of big names in attendance, and Zion Williamson got hurt on a play in which his shoe pulled a British-at-the-Battle-of-New-Orleans. Also, as that one guy who’s a little different and ambiguously deserving of either sympathy or scorn but either way seems to be making a good living tweeting things like this would have you know, Nike’s stock dropped a little this morning.
A lot of other things happened too, of course, because it’s the back half of February and it’s college basketball, but that was the main stuff. Until this morning, anyway, when the really sad Jim Boeheim news emerged (assuming it was an accident, which seems like a pretty safe assumption, I feel awful for him, my status on #TeamGreensboro aside—and, of course, I feel even more awful for the guy that died and all those mourning him—this is basic human morality but I felt obligated to mention it since basic human morality isn’t exactly in vogue on The Internet™).
Anyway, the thing that happened that I specifically want to talk about is that Barack Obama went to a basketball game! What a guy.
I understand why folks out there are annoyed that Obama gets attention for doing something as normal for a celebrity as watching some hoops, but at the same time, I get the excitement, especially for a college game where, opinions on amateurism and the NCAA and all that aside, these are 18-23 year-old kids playing in front of the former president of the United States.
Better still, Obama’s presence, combined with Zion Williamson’s shoe splitting open like a cartoon earthquake, produced this:
Great stuff, right? Again, I understand people rolling their eyes that this causes a stir, but it’s funny! The man who just over two years ago was spending his days focused on things like nuclear weapons spent last night reacting exactly like the rest of us when a young man’s basketball shoe cracked in half like a pea pod after a little pressure.
Anyway, I just invited Barack Obama to attend the NIT Final Four with me and the lads. Here’s what I sent him via the contact form on his and Michelle’s website:
President Obama,
I was happy to see you enjoying the Duke/Carolina game last night. I hope you had a great time.
As a blogger on the cutting edge of college basketball, I’d like to extend the invitation to you to join me at one of the sport’s more under-the-radar events: The NIT Final Four. I’ll be attending, along with a few friends, on April 2nd and 4th, at Madison Square Garden, and would love to have you along for either or both nights. This tournament has a rich history, and is making a comeback to prominence, kind of like the economy this past decade. It also offers a unique basketball experience – if you thought a shoe breaking apart like peanut butter under hot water was exciting, wait ’til you see what happens when roughly the 40th-43rd best teams in the country square off!
I understand you’re a busy man, so I won’t be offended if you’re unable to attend. Either way, I hope you’re enjoying life after the presidency. Please give my best to Michelle.
Yours,
NIT Stu
thebarkingcrow.comP.S. My roommate is asking you to put some pressure on Illinois to switch to independent maps. Gerrymandering hurts democracy!
I’ll keep you guys posted, but I’m feeling good about this working out. Might even be able to swing him a press pass if he gets me his email address in time—former presidents love getting free press passes to basketball games.
