Thursday night, our senior editor Matt Barton and I (the sports round-up guy) set out to witness the madness firsthand. Fighting the always-lovely Buffalo wind, we made the walk to the KeyBank Center, and once it was in sight, it was clear “March Madness” wasn’t just an exaggerated tagline – it was the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
If the photo doesn’t do it justice, believe me when I tell you, the lines were LONG and they were PACKED. As we navigated our way through the hundreds of thousands of rowdy college basketball fanatics, “Go Green!” “Go Blue!” and just about every other team’s catchphrase rang out through the concourse. Buffalo was ready to go.
For clarification, tournament play was an all-day affair, split up into two sessions – each session featuring two games apiece. Matt and I attended the second session, cheering for ethical hoops, of course, but more importantly, to root for the No. 1-seeded Michigan Wolverines vs the No. 16-seeded Howard Bison. Matt was hopping on the Michigan train for one night only to support yours truly.
Seats slowly filled, and as they did, we took frequent trips around the arena – taking in the sights and sounds, and realizing just how ridiculously-priced the food and drinks were. Thank you, water fountains.
Finally, we made it to our seats, and it was time for tipoff!
Sitting in section 310 put us in unexpected enemy territory because the Howard faithful were out, and they made sure you knew it. Their roars didn’t stop for the entire first half, and for good enough reason, as Michigan’s defense couldn’t stop a nosebleed. I don’t know what the Howard players were given for breakfast that morning, but they hit 10 of 16 threes to make it a four-point game at the half. Must have been some Wheaties.
Both of us were genuinely stunned to see such a close game – no 16-seed has any business sticking around with a 1-seed. That’s what the second game was supposed to be for. I didn’t plan on having a heart attack in the first round.
Wiping the sweat from my forehead, we waited for the game to start back up – putting Matt’s camera to good use in the meantime. Luckily, for my blood pressure, Michigan pulled away in the second half, cruising to a 101-80 win to advance to the second round. As the game got out of hand, there was still something to enjoy, as the school bands went head-to-head at every timeout. I must say, Howard may have won that battle – they even got Matt to reminisce on his high school band days.
During warm-ups for the next game, we got in a few more steps, testing out seats we could’ve watched the game from if we weren’t broke college kids.
Eventually, as Georgia-Saint Louis tipped off, we found our way back to section 310 to watch the Billikens put some serious belt on the Bulldogs. Once the lead reached 20, we agreed to call it a night so we could make it out of KeyBank Center before the madness of getting to the parking lot ensued.
As someone who never thought going to March Madness was possible, it was a one-of-a-kind experience. Whenever the madness returns to Buffalo again, I highly recommend you give it a shot, and Matt would say the same.
To see the full experience live and in living color, check out our vlog on The Record YouTube channel!
