Winning - Remember what it Feels Like?

Two out of three. That's how I look at tonight, so I suppose I can't really complain.

I went into tonight with three games I really cared about:
1.) Sabres - Rangers
2.) Bandits - Lumberjax
3.) Duke - Texas

Mathematically, I'm going to sleep (in a few hours) about 67% satisfied.

My beloved Blue Devils snuck by the Longhorns 74-69. There was much rejoicing in my house; as my sister, mother, best friend, and myself all picked them as our champions. More important than even my bracket, my basketball boys proved that they will be a team to reckon with this year.

Also, we got to see an ever-elusive smile by the stoic Mike Krzyzewski (no, I did not need to look that up - it's a Polish thing...). Coach K smiles are as rare as Lindy Ruff ones, so it was nice to see this look on his face as final seconds ticked away:

Also, many thanks to the Bandits for reminding me that a Buffalo team could, in fact, win a sporting event. After a two-game losing streak drained some of the fun out of lacrosse for me, the excitement came back in full force tonight at the Arena with a 14-4 win over the Portland Lumberjax.

Four goals may seem like a lot to those of us used to hockey, but that is, in fact, a Bandits record for fewest goals allowed in a game.

Not only did the Bandits play smart, they played tough - two things we haven't seen enough of from that other Buffalo team lately. Brandon Francis proved once again that he is a true heavyweight, pounding superstar Brodie Merrill into submission, stirring the crowd into a frenzy. My new favorite Bandit, Billy Dee Smith earned "Mucker and Grinder of the Night" for taking on David Morgan, who had a clear size advantage over the Bandit defenseman. Smith landed some huge punches before getting a game misconduct.

I know that it's dumb to say that the Sabres would be winning more if they fought more, but part of me wants to say that. Hey, I've heard some crazier theories on WGR this week alone. All I know is that the passion shown through physical play was on full display tonight, both in the stands and on the bench. Those fights gave the team a clear jump, establishing who had control of the momentum. I guess all I wanted to say about that is that it was nice to see that kind of fire from more than just a few people for more than just a few seconds.

Now, I did not watch tonight's hockey game. I've been told that we put a good effort together, so maybe I'll play it back before I go to bed. However, I don't know if I can watch another loss, no matter how well they played. My best friend likes to tell me "Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades." Cliched as it may be; it's true at this point. Saying they worked hard is fine, but we need points, not building blocks - too late for those.

Two out of three should be enough to make me happy for tonight - mathematically.

Emotionally, it's the one that got away which will have me tossing and turning for another night.