I Was There

 Sooner or later, everything ends up on Al Gore's Internet. 

It's an information sponge. 

To wit: I was idly searching about on the waves of the world wide web the other day when what should appear but the Colorado Triple A State Basketball Championship from 1979. Someone had taken the mild effort of uploading the entire game between Boulder High and Regis. Complete with play by play commentary by Mike Hafner and a smattering of local commercials. 

I had never seen the broadcast. 

Because I was there. 

In the last six seconds, Doug Wilson sank two clutch free throws to tie and then win the game. I was sitting in some pretty bad seats along with the rest of the Boulder High Pep Band, but it didn't matter. 

I was there. 

It would be the third state basketball championship for Boulder, and as of this writing, the last. They got close the next year. In 1980, they were favored to win their second title in as many years. But I wasn't there. Not for the beginning anyway. For reasons recounted elsewhere, along with a couple of friends, I was late getting there. The Boulder High Panthers lost to Green Mountain. By a lot. 

I have not made any effort to find a recording of that game. That was my senior year and the high point of my vicarious sporting life was ruined in that one night. Championships would elude me and the teams that I followed for another decade. The Golden Buffaloes winning the National Championship of college football. The Super Bowls won by the Denver Broncos. There was even a World Series win for the Chicago Cubs. 

But back in 1979, that was my first taste. And to think I found it on Al Gore's Internet.