I lived in the past this morning, spending several hours reminiscing with vendors at a local baseball card and collectibles show.  I went with the sole intention of buying some Cub and White Sox baseball cards from the early 1900s, but walked away with what I consider to be a treasure. It jumped out at me as I walked by a display table, wondering what in the heck it was doing in Portland, Oregon?  There was booth after booth of Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers memorabilia that I typically see at these shows around our area.  Occasionally, I’ll see Washington Huskies, Washington State  Cougars, or Gonzaga merchandise, maybe even some California team items.  It only makes sense that people in this area are going to be more interested in teams that are close by, and every good merchant knows about targeting their audience. I would have never have expected to see an item from my Alma Mater, Indiana University at a local show.   That’s why I had to buy it.

It was a framed Velox from the front page of the Indiana Daily Student, the University’s newspaper from Tuesday, March 31, 1987.  The day it was published I was in New Orleans watching Keith Smart hit a last second shot against Syracuse to claim Indiana’s 5th NCAA Basketball Championship.  It was a magical moment in my life that was the climax of an unforgettable week of travel to and from New Orleans, several sleepless nights on the floor of house that was surprisingly under construction and had no furniture,  and night after night of fan rallies, not to mention the excessive drinking and partying that New Orleans is famous for.  After all, I was 34 years young with a family and didn’t get out of town by myself very often.  Without a doubt, I overdid it, but would be happy to do it again!

Admittedly, I’m an I.U. Basketball geek!  There’s a photo of that winning shot in my home office that is called simply, “The Shot.”  I have a custom I.U. jewelry box that plays the final seconds of the actual radio broadcast of that shot when you open its lid.  I also have framed jerseys and photos from the 1976 and 1981 Championships that I was fortunate to enjoy.  By 1987 it was getting to be a habit for Bob Knight and his Indiana teams, so I always expected to go to another one.  Unfortunately, it hasn’t happened in 30 years.  As a result, I have to live in the past with these memory aids that adorn my walls.

The headline on the front page reads, “IU WINS IT ALL!”  The accompanying story focuses, as only a campus publication would, on the student celebration rather than the game itself.  It does have a box score of the game and a photo of Steve Alford, Todd Meier, and Daryl Thomas hoisting the Championship Trophy.  A copy of the paper would have set you back 25 cents, and the frame and red matting is worth more than what I paid for it this morning.  The man who sold it to me owned a moving company and got it from a Beaverton, Oregon home.  He was not sure why the owner did not want to move it again.  There was a strip of masking tape on the back that noted, “Office #11 Center Behind Lamp.”  There was also a sticker from the framing company in Mishawaka, Indiana, just about 10 miles from my home town.  I’ll never know how it ended up in Oregon, but I’m glad that I was able to give it another good home.   The other coincidence was that he just picked it up last week, so this was the first time it was offered for sale, and I happened to be there at the right time.

It was all as if it was meant to be! The framed piece and I came together, after moving across the country 2,193 miles. Oh, and one more thing! As I was loading into the trunk of my car, my jaw dropped as I took a minute to fully read the article.  In one of the paragraphs it stated: “This is what University life is all about! yelled junior Matt Gaston between swigs of beer.  I met Matt Gaston several years later in Indianapolis, so it will be a good reason to get back in touch with him.  I wonder if he ever saw the paper, or if he was too hungover to care.  Maybe it will renew our friendship, since I know from Facebook posts that he is a baseball fan and follows the Nats and our Hoosiers from his D.C. home?