Kalin Lucas propped up by teammates as he cuts down the net after the Spartans beat Tennessee

I’ve been out of the March Madness loop just a tad bit.  I know it’s March and that means the NCAA Basketball Tournament is underway, but since I’m no longer part of an office pool it’s easy for me to escape the madness if you get my drift.  But, last night, my grandfather who is a die-hard supporter of any Michigan team – the Lions (he’s no fairweather fan), the Tigers, the Wolverines (Michgan – What’s up with the animals?) and yes, even the Spartans (We’re a Go Blue! family) but Detroiters support Detroiters, green, blue or otherwise – tells me that the Spartans are going to the Final Four.  Woo hooo!!!  If UofM can’t be there to represent, the next best thing is MSU.

Armed with this knowledge, I pick up the sports page this morning and learn that the star of the Spartans is also named Kalyn.  Kalin Lucas.  I read a little further and learn that he was the driving force behind the team and definitely the player Spartans’ fans had pinned their hopes on, but he’s been sidelined with what appears to be a torn Achillies tendon.  Here’s where it get’s crazy, so I am! Sidelined with a torn tendon I mean.  I tore my planterious tendon while on a little ski-cation back in February; I realize it’s not the same as getting hurt while trying to take my team to the National Championships, but the parallels are uncanny, no?  And of course, we’re both from the same place – Detroit.

See here’s the thing.  With a name like Kalyn, I’ve only met one other person with my name who wasn’t named after me.  When I was little, there were no key chains, license plates or notepads with my name on them.  People ALWAYS mis-spelled and mis-pronounced my name.  I resolved to change my name to Karen when I became an adult so that I would no longer have to suffer these indignities (petitioning Walt Disney to include my name on the Minny Mouse keychain seemed like a wasted effort).  My Aunt Kay (for whom I’m named) convinced me that while Karen is a nice name, my name, Kalyn is a beautiful name and makes me unique. So, when I hear that there’s someone else named Kalyn, even though he spells it Kalin, who’s also from Detroit, it just makes me smile.  What are the odds? I’ll be rootin’ for Kalin and the Spartans this weekend in my Spartans gear, maize and blue be damned!  Maybe there’s more to this March Madness than meets the eye . . .

[image from mlive.com]