Butler Didn't Do It

Two chances.

Gordon Hayward had two chances.

And both times, I was certain he would make that game winning basket to send himself and Butler into legendary status.

But it didn't happen.

And that makes me very sad.

Why? It's not because I'm a Butler alum. I'm also not a huge Duke hater. Yet for some reason I wanted nothing more than for Butler to win. Not entirely because it would have been a great story or because they were the underdogs (C'mon who wouldn't love to see those stories). But I wanted it so bad, because if they won then I would have believed the happy endings you see in movies are possible.

The moment the final matchup was set everyone starting making the comparisons to the movie, "Hoosiers". And now that the outcome has been determined, all anyone can say is there was no hollywood movie ending for Butler. Jimmy Chitwood didn't walk through the door that day. Gordon Hayward had a chance to do a Chitwood impression, but it wasn't meant to be. And that's where this story sticks with me the most.

I know that movies are meant for entertainment and an escape from real life. That real life doesn't mirror movie life. But I love movies so much and they mean so much to my life, that I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish that this wasn't the case. I want to exist where the Butler's of the world can win on a last second miracle shot. Because wouldn't that be the world where you can have a meet-cute with the girl (or boy, for the female readers out there) of your dreams on your way to work. That their is love at first sight. And you do get to be the one or the hero at the end.

Now, you can call me naive or say I'm someone who doesn't want to seperate fantasy from reality. But isn't the point of some movies also to provide hope. To find something that moves you to follow or go after your dreams and believe in yourself? And I guess that's why I wish Butler was able to win. So that I could say, "See, sometimes life does imitate art." And that'll give me another moment to hold on to while I try and be the movie star in my own world.