What a monumental weekend this weekend was. Sport Changes Life really outdid themselves. Nearly 9,300 people visited the SSE Arena in Belfast to take part in the inaugural event that for years to come will be known as The Belfast Classic. I personally did not expect such a great turnout considering that the 4 schools who participated in the classic (La Salle, Holy Cross, Towson, and Manhattan) were mid-major colleges. Unless people watching were huge college basketball buffs, I’m almost certain that the majority of the crowd did not have a clue as to who these teams were. To be honest, if they didn’t come for the basketball being played, the majority probably came out to watch La Salle’s Irish star. Regardless of the reasons why people turned up, the local basketball community definitely got a taste of how basketball is like in America. I say this because there are a ton of different things that basketball in America has that Ireland does not. First off, each game in America begins with the singing of the National Anthem. Here in Ireland, we just shake hands and play. In America, they announce only the starting line up before the game with a very showy introduction, whereas here, they just say the name of each player on the team. The atmosphere of a division I NCAA game feels a lot more intense because of the number of fans that come to watch and how invested they are in the game. A Superleague game (the division I NCAA equivalent) has a smaller following and each game has less fanfare associated with it. Finally, at my collegiate games, both cheerleaders and dancers would be found cheering on the baseline with a rambunctious band trying to distract the opposing team. None of the games I have been to or played here in Ireland have had any baseline cheer squad.
These were just some noticeable differences that I minorly forgot happened until I saw it again at the classic. Anyway, the classic brought a good show, as the championship game fashioned a nail-biting finish. With 1.5 seconds left on the clock, the score was 55-54 in favor of Manhattan. It was Towson’s turn to inbounds the ball under their basket. With the blow of a whistle, Towson set up their offensive play. Towson’s inbounder threw the ball into the hands of his teammate next to the baseline. With milliseconds to spare, the arena became silent, as everyone watched the ball spin through the air, towards the basket.
SWOOSH.
TOWSON SANK THE BASELINE JUMPER TO PULL OUT A 56-55 VICTORY OVER MANHATTAN!!!!!!!!! The crowd went absolutely bananas! It was such a thrilling end to a phenomenal weekend of basketball. Belfast could not have gotten a better game to watch and this is why college athletics is so fun. The outcomes are always unpredictable and each game brings such a highly competitive atmosphere. All I can say is thank you to the organization that made this weekend all possible. SCL, you the real MVP.
P.S. – I just realized that the Belfast Classic logo is a picture of the Titanic… #mindblown
