Nothing But Iron:  Below the Rim by Steve Lagman, Court Reporter April 1, 2007 A friend asked me if I made it down to the second round of the NCAA tournament in Chicago.  When I said yes, he assumed I was full of regret for having wasted my time and money.  After all, the Badgers failed to advance, so I would have been better off suffering at home, right?  No, not at all.  Yes, I was disappointed, but my disappointment was for the players, not for myself.  Minutes earlier, when the Badgers had gone up five points after a thrilling second-half run that seemed to have stunned the Running Rebels into submission, I was imagining the possible scenarios that would get me to St. Louis a week later.  There would be tickets to find, work coverage to barter, t-shirts and hats to buy, clothes to pack.  Then, with suddenness so characteristic of the sport, Coach Lon’s kid went three crazy, and my life was rendered much simpler than I wanted it to be.  Wisconsin’s desperate attempts at late closure were repelled, and all that was left of the season was to go home and write about it. As the game ended, my wife turned to me, smiled gently, and uttered, as if she could read the thoughts on my forehead, the very words I was thinking:  “I am glad we were here.”  At that moment I was reminded of why I like my wife so much.  Hers was a statement borne not of the sometimes-selfish pursuit of vicarious athletic fulfillment, but of loyalty.  This was our team.  Alando, Jason, Kammron, and those who will follow in their prominent footsteps, were our kids.  We were disappointed for them, not in them.  It was a privilege to support our kids as they played their hearts out for the 36th time this season.  The UNLV crowd was wild with adoration, but Rebels backers were not the only red-clad onlookers who stood, clapped and admired as the teams left the court.  As I caught a final glimpse of the 2006-2007 Wisconsin Badgers, I noticed that hundreds of my compatriots had stayed to pay similar tribute.  It was fitting recognition of a successful season that was so much more than its final 40 minutes. ____________ Below the Rim is an amateur sports column written for Badger Basketball Boosters, Inc.  The views expressed herein are those of the author and are not representative of the views of woefully misguided people who do not share the views of the author.  © 2007 DrTM Enterprises.  All rights reserved.