Jerry Colangelo made sure he wouldn't miss any of the national championship game Monday. The former Illinois basketball player and owner of the Phoenix Suns missed the first five minutes of Saturday's national semifinal at the Edward Jones Dome because he had to wait in line with the rest of the masses.
"It was a mess of humanity," said Colangelo, who got to the dome two hours ahead of time Monday night and was in line a few minutes before passing through security.
Colangelo was one of many notable Illini backers and celebrities in the gym that included Illinois administrators, former coach Lou Henson, Illinois football coach Ron Zook and Illini hanger-on Bill Murray.
"This is what you play for," said Colangelo, sporting an orange tie and a block "I" pin. "It's a tremendous opportunity for any school. It doesn't happen that often."
Certainly not for the Illini, but Colangelo knows what it all means. He won a World Series as owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
"It's monumental for the University of Illinois basketball program and the university," said Colangelo, a Chicago Heights native. "Ron Guenther has done a terrific job with the athletic department, and the rewards are starting to come."
Former Illini players in St. Louis included Kendall Gill, Brian Cook, Marcus Griffin, Jerrance Howard, Sergio McClain and Frank Williams.
Griffin, who had a heart attack several weeks ago, couldn't have thought of a better place to be Monday than St. Louis.
"I'm better than I was two weeks ago," Griffin said. "I think people don't understand what it's like for the guys who played. What this means. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the guys here cried."
Cook, who came off the injured list Sunday for the Los Angeles Lakers and played that night against Memphis, couldn't have been prouder of the Illini.
"It's a great feeling to be here, watching the guys that I used to look out for," Cook said. "You've got to love them and everything they've done."
Zook, who finished a spring football practice at 4:45 p.m. Monday, hopped a plane at Willard Airport and was at the dome by 7:30 p.m.
"We had no problem getting here," Zook said. "I've played a lot of football games here, so I kind of got nervous when I walked in here. But this is awesome, seeing all this orange. It's exciting."
Ex-UI football players Fred Wakefield, Kevin Hardy, Kameno Bell and Chris Green took in the action.
National celebrities included actor Vince Vaughn, Chicago-area native and "Still Standing" star Jami Gertz, former vice presidential candidate John Edwards of North Carolina and Carolina product Michael Jordan, who watched the game with ex-North Carolina coach Dean Smith.
FRIENDLY WAGER
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was also in St. Louis on Monday cheering on the Illini. Blagojevich had a lot more than state pride riding on the game.
The governor bet a Papa Del's deep-dish pizza and a six-pack of Orange Crush with North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley. Easley offered dinner from Carolina staples Lexington BBQ and The Barbeque Joint and a six-pack of Cheerwine, a cherry soda made in North Carolina.
"The Illini have played all year with talent, experience and unselfishness, and most importantly heart," Blagojevich said.
GRACIOUS HOST
It's been 27 years since St. Louis hosted a Final Four. If you ask Greg Shaheen, it won't be long before the event returns to the Gateway to the West.
"St. Louis has done a great job," said Shaheen, the NCAA vice president of Division I men's basketball. "It's the first time they've hosted in a long time, in the so-called modern era when we went to domed stadiums. Now they are really situated to do it again."
The dome is seating almost 48,000 people this weekend, but all downtown hotels are booked. Restaurants and bars in Laclede's Landing and downtown had lines well out the door. That's somethingthe city and the NCAA like to see.
"I think the facilities combined with lodging and accessibility being in the middle of the country is a great positive," Shaheen said. "It works for their benefit.
"It's involved the unique weaving between the local community and the participating institutions. There's been a lot of excitement, and St. Louis has made that possible."
The NCAA already announced Final Four sites through 2011. Indianapolis will host next year and 2010. St. Louis and the Edward Jones Dome will host regional semifinals and finals in 2007.
NERVES OF STEEL
Gene Honda announced his third NCAA championship game Monday night, but it might have been the hardest.
Honda, a former Illinois student who is also the public address announcer for the Chicago White Sox, Blackhawks and DePaul basketball, admitted to getting jumpy while working with his beloved Illini on the court.
"Can we get this started now?" said Honda, three hours before game time. "There's enough orange in here."
Honda knew it wouldn't be easy, but like the pro he is, he handled it without a flaw.
"This is my third time, everything was going smoothly, then (Illinois) came to town," Honda said. "I always get nervous. We came in at 4 o'clock to go over things. We have plenty of time to mess things up."
Honda might have been able to pull double duty Monday. The White Sox season opener against Cleveland finished in one hour, 51 minutes.
SUNSHINE DAY
Another reason for St. Louis' success this weekend was the weather. Temperatures reached 75 degrees Sunday and hit 80 Monday.
Fans killed time before Monday's game enjoying the sun. The St. Louis riverfront was filled with visitors.
Even North Carolina walked along the river during the early afternoon to relax a little before game time.
Illinois assistant coach Jay Price got in some jogging through the streets of downtown Monday morning.
SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS
Fans at the dome Monday night might have got a little nervous before the opening tip.
"Challenger," a 16-year-old bald eagle, flew around the building during the national anthem. The bird is the first bald eagle in U.S. history that is trained to fly in sports stadiums. He has flown in five World Series, three Pro Bowls and the 1999 Fiesta Bowl.
The bird knows when to land when his handler blows a whistle. When he's done, he's put into a trunklike case that has a perch and food.
RAISING HEEL
His name is John Snipes, and he was hard to miss driving around downtown St. Louis the past few days in a powder blue-and-white hearse dubbed the "Heelraiser."
Snipes graduated from North Carolina in the early 1980s. He spent part of Sunday entertaining Heels fans outside the Adam's Mark Hotel by handing out "Heelraiser" hats, allowing people to take pictures of the car and motivating North Carolina fans.
"Are you a Tar Heels fan?" Snipes asked. "You better be."
According to heelraiser.com, Snipes bought the 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood for $1,000 and spent $13,000 fixing it up.
SHOOTING STARS
One of the stranger occurrences of the Final Four weekend happened about 9 p.m. Sunday in downtown.
In a matter of 15 minutes, fans milling around the Adam's Mark lobby could have caught a glimpse of actor Tim Robbins and his blue, tinted glasses getting into an elevator. Robbins was at the semifinal games Saturday and back again to watch the title game. Wake Forest guard Chris Paul was dressed up[SR]in a fancy black suit and signing autographs as Michigan State sophomore Shannon Brown looked on.
Outside the hotel, national Player of the Year Andrew Bogut of Utah crossed Chestnut Street in a crowd.
Also spotted walking downtown Sunday night: former Northern Illinois and Bradley coach Jim Molinari.
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