Ten o'clock the morning before game day. Ground Zero of the Stanford encampment in San Antonio. The lilting notes of Brahms float through the stately lobby of the St. Anthony Hotel. "How nice, they hired a classical pianist for the Final Four," I think to myself.
An incongruous thought, perhaps, but the reality proves no less surprising. Provost Condoleezza Rice, focusing intently on the keys of a baby grand, is hard at work. "I've got a concert at Dink next week," says Rice, an accomplished pianist. "I'm desperate. This may be the only time I have to practice."
It was the perfect opening scene for Stanford's first visit in 56 years to the Big Dance – sweet, quirky and, on second thought, not really such a big surprise. A lot, in fact, like the team that Rice came to cheer. She joined thousands of Cardinal fans who dropped everything to come here to San Antonio for the chance to see Stanford play some serious hoops.
Well, that, and to party just a bit.
The Riverwalk, San Antonio's theme park without the rides, was an ocean of redshirts – both the bright Utah red and the more reserved Cardinal hue. A genuine camaraderie developed between the two underdogs over the weekend. "Go, Utes," you'd hear Stanford fans yell across the narrow, winding San Antonio River – and the Utah faithful would shout right back, "We're rooting for you tomorrow night." Something about taking on basketball Goliaths Kentucky and North Carolina brought us all together.
The arrival of the incomparable lsjumb added some rock to the party rolling through the streets. The Band already had visited the Alamo, where its mascot – a dancing Tree – was kicked out by gun-toting Alamo Rangers for apparently not showing adequate respect at the shrine. Now here they were at a pregame Stanford rally at Travis Park, across the street from the St. Anthony. "All Right Now" never sounded so good. Coaching legend Bill Walsh was at the rally, too, snagging a few taquitos and some guacamole from the buffet.
Stanford alums and supporters were joined by some 250 students. Members of the infamous Sixth Man Club, whose boisterous antics in Maples Pavilion helped the Cardinal win 11 of 13 home games, drove more than 30 hours to get to San Antonio. Many students made last-minute changes to spring-break plans. "We watched the Rhode Island game and pretty much went nuts. So we decided to come," said Sarah Medeiros, a senior who made the trip with three field hockey teammates. They're already talking about buying Final Four tickets for next spring. "We're absolutely convinced Stanford is going to be there," said Monique Leroux, also a senior.
Such are the expectations that will weigh on Coach Mike Montgomery. But for a few precious moments after the game in San Antonio, the pressure was off. Montgomery walked into the hotel bar Saturday night not long after the squeaker loss to Kentucky. There was a sizable Stanford contingent on hand, including several members of the board of trustees. But no one was drowning their sorrows. There was, in fact, little sorrow and great pride. As the coach inched up to the bar, we rose in unison, as if on cue, to give him a standing ovation. He smiled sheepishly, ordered an unopened bottle of beer, slipped it into his jacket pocket and retired for a room-service dinner with his family.
The rest of us turned back to memories that surely will hold us – until the Final Four next year.
Alan Acosta, director of the University News Service, is a men's basketball season ticketholder.
