How bout those Bull Dogs! It’s been really fun to watch them rise to the top over the last few years. Just lately though, it seems like there have been a lot of comparisons drawn between the Butler Bulldogs who advanced Saturday to the Final-Four in the NCAA Championship and the Milan High School State Champs of 1954. I guess writers have to come up with some kind of story line to make it interesting. I suppose I have to admit there are a few similarities. The 1954 championship was actually played in the Bulldogs home, Hinkle Fieldhouse for one thing, known as Butler Fieldhouse in those days. But what’s special to me is how the stars are lining up for Butler to play for the championship in their home town in front of a largely home crowd. That hasn’t happened since UCLA did it in 1972. You couldn’t write a better script for them if you tried.
The venues themselves are one thing that’s really similar. It’s not too hard to see that the design of Lucas Oil Stadium where the semi-finals will be played, was influenced by Hinkle Fieldhouse, built in 1928. Our sports heritage is important to us in Indiana.
I can’t wait until next Saturday’s game to see how the Dogs pull off this next one too.
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