Loss doesn’t deter Butler celebration

INDIANAPOLIS — The only thing missing was a championship trophy.

Less than 24 hours after Gordon Hayward’s buzzer-beating shot bounced off the rim, Butler and its fans — new and old — partied inside Hinkle Fieldhouse on Tuesday as if the Bulldogs had won the national title.

They didn’t win against Duke, but the Bulldogs won the hearts of this basketball-crazy state and captured the imagination of a nation that won’t soon forget Butler’s journey.

Roughly 4,000 fans came to Hinkle and provided an atmosphere that was as festive as it was a week ago when the Bulldogs were still celebrating their first Final Four appearance.

T-shirts at the bookstore were selling so fast that athletic department officials put up poles to organize the checkout line.

Fans from West Virginia and Chicago, who had barely heard of Butler weeks ago, stopped by the fieldhouse one last time to take a couple of more snapshots.

Coach Brad Stevens taped an appearance for the “Late Show with David Letterman” from the free-throw line, and the Bulldogs even got a phone call from President Barack Obama.

“I think his message was that he wasn’t just going to call the team that won today because of the way both teams played,” Stevens said.

The President later said he had told the Bulldogs they “played a great game, showed tremendous heart, and he hopes to get a chance to play with them.”

From the White House to Main Street, the Bulldogs opened eyes and turned heads.

“I loved when Butler slayed Syracuse, and I think Duke had a cakewalk into the finals,” said Steve Boghossian, 47, of Chicago. “I think they captivated the hearts of people because they don’t talk a lot, they don’t like a lot of notoriety, they have a quiet calm about themselves and I think they were underestimated. Every game they played, they were supposed to lose.”

Tuesday afternoon’s rally began with a prolonged standing ovation, which continued until guards Ronald Nored and Shawn Vanzant did cartwheels, the Bulldogs traditional celebration of choice. Fans were still cheering when Stevens and 6-foot-9 Emerson Kampen did a back bump at midcourt.

Even Peyton Manning wore Butler’s navy blue Final Four shirt in a video message.
“I can’t say how proud the Colts are of you,” Manning said. “That’s all we’ve talked about the last couple of weeks.”

For the last week, fans have found the under-recruited kids and 33-year-old coach from the school with 4,200 students a compelling story, too.

“Because of what you have done, Butler has become an example of academic and athletic excellence,” Fong said.

“In the years to come, because of what you have done, many more students will aspire to come to Butler. Because of what you have done, more people will aspire to do things the way you have done them, by doing them the right way, by doing them The Butler Way.”