This year, New Orleans hosted the N.C.A.A. Men’s Final Four basketball tournament. I was lucky enough to attend the championship game—University of Kansas versus University of Kentucky. I do not have a personal tie to either school, so I decided to root for Kansas since some of my sorority sisters hail from there.
Clearly, it was not the basketball game that I was most excited about. The Final Four playoffs on Saturday brought out Jay-Z, Shaquille O’Neill, and Nike founder Phil Knight, all seated in the Kentucky section of the Superdome. I hoped to see even more famous celebrities at the final game.
To my surprise, it was the Fray who sang the “National Anthem.” It was a beautiful and slow rendition. My friends and I were upset that they did not stay and play any more of their music. I had to be reminded that it was a basketball game, not a concert.
Kentucky appeared to be the clear winner from the first few minutes of the game. Kansas was always around ten points behind. This was satisfying to many fans so that, with five minutes left, many got up and left the stadium. When one such group walked out, the men behind me whispered excitedly that it was Samuel L. Jackson. My friends, of course, all turned to look at me. However, I did not recognize him.
After utilizing my favorite Internet tool, Google, I discovered that it was, in fact, Jackson who had left the game with his entourage. It was only minutes after he left that the game started to pick up and become interesting. Kansas gained a few points closer to Kentucky’s lead, making it a mere five-point difference at one point. However, it was not enough and in the end, Kentucky reigned supreme. Yet, this did not upset me, as I had filled my celebrity quota for the night. Better luck next time, Jayhawks!
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Tulane chapter.