As I flicked on ESPN Monday night I didn't expect to throw my hands up in the air and in the process send my beverage of choice shattering to the ground.
What I saw was shocking and surprising and sent a flood of awkward thoughts going through my head. I was happy, yet jealous, proud and yet envious. The Niagara Purple Eagles for the second time in three years will be representing the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference in the NCAA Tournament.
Now immediately most of you reading this have something similar to " (insert expletive) Niagara!" on the tip of your tongues. I don't blame you for this but I simply cannot bring myself to join the bandwagon of hate.
I grew up less than three miles from Monteagle Ridge and my father, a proud Niagara alum and I bled purple up until I left for college. So I had quite an interesting switch of allegiances after my senior year of high school. I traded in my talons for horns, and my closet made the gradual change from violet to blue.
When Niagara finally made the tournament a few years back after more than three decades mired in mediocrity I rejoiced. My father was ecstatic. The last time they made the dance, NBA Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy was roaming the court. It didn't matter that they lost to Oklahoma 84-67. What mattered is that they were there that a team I had actually rooted for had made it to the big time.
While being ostracized by some of my friends for my loyalty to one of our bigger basketball rivalries, I began to take note that Buffalo's situation was beginning to parallel that of Niagara.
For years I saw Niagara struggle to raise another NCAA banner to the roof of the Gallagher Center with the many NIT banners currently residing in the rafters. When they finally did it signaled to me that we could make it there, and that one-day we would, even if it took 30 years.
As quick as you might be to hate on Niagara, remember that we are in the same boat when it comes to college basketball. Our affiliation doesn't lie with the Big East, Atlantic Coast Conference or the Big Ten. We are the little guys, the runts, the so-called mid-majors that nobody respects enough to give the credit they deserve.
Also remember we can play with Niagara, we can beat Niagara and Niagara is there. We can play with anybody and I think any Bulls fan just needs to look back to the visit by the Pittsburgh Panthers to qualify that statement.
The Purple Eagles give me hope for the Bulls. They prove that it can happen. With time, the program will develop and will be able to wade through a conference tournament and make an NCAA appearance.
We have already raised an NIT banner and the university and the Buffalo community banded together behind the Turner Battle led squad that earned it. I hope before my time here is done we will be able to see an NCAA banner paired with it.
So before you are hasty enough to chastise and ridicule the Niagara Purple Eagles remember that they were where we are and that they are where we want to be.
With the loss to Central Michigan in the MAC Tournament, the Bulls have been eliminated from NCAA contention for this season but that wont stop me and shouldn't stop the team from looking towards next year.
So as a fan of both the Purple Eagles and the Bulls, I hope that maybe some Buffalo fans can show some support for their local rivals. These programs aren't that different from each other anyway and purple is just a few shades off from blue.
