Not long after I sat down in my splendidly located seat at the Rose Garden Arena to await the first of four Second Round NCAA March Madness basketball games, the Davidson Pep Band began to play from the their seats at the opposite end of the court. Curious to see what sort of photo I could get at that distance, I took one. Imagine my surprise when I looked at it after I had downloaded it to iPhoto and saw that basketball, frozen as if it were indeed a hat being worn by the woman standing in the aisle. Makes her look 10 feet tall! I love, absolutely love, this sort of serendipity!
To the right of the home team's bench, the Louisville Pep Band filed in and made their way into the section set aside for them. Soon they set up to play. I suppose those young women in the black with the red metallic pompoms are cheerleaders--I can't remember for sure.
How's this to ponder upon? During the first half of the game, the Louisville Pep Band played Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline." Sounded pretty good to me, though I never, ever would have thought of that song as a pep song for a basketball game. Yet, I guess others have, because in the second half of the game, the Davidson Pep Band played it, too. Then, during the first half of the next game, between the New Mexico Lobos and the Long Beach State 49ers, the Long Beach State band played "Sweet Caroline" in the first half. I couldn't believe it!
And there was more to come. In the second session while the Indiana Hoosiers played the New Mexico State Aggies, the Indiana Pep Band played "Sweet Caroline" in the second half of that game.
Finally, on Saturday during the Third Round games, the Indiana Pep Band played it during the second half of their game with the Virginia Commonwealth Rams, and Louisville also played it in the second half of their game against New Mexico.
Makes me wonder if any of the Carolina teams' pep bands play "Sweet Caroline"?
I love pep bands!
I had a little help with my photo today. I used Corel Paintshop. I wonder if they all play Sweet Caroline cause its easy to sing, you can yell the words and still sound good.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like those other teams shouldn't play it if they're up against North Carolina! Also, I just crocheted a net ball hat for my sister, who attends a lot of basketball games, and the position of the ball in that top photo reminds me of it a little :)
ReplyDeleteSweet Caroline is played in the seventh inning of every Boston Red Sox home game in Fenway Park. Maybe the college teams picked it up from the Sox.
ReplyDeleteExcellent shot.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to watch and root for Louisville today. So jealous you got to see some NCAA action.
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