Watched the game on Saturday at the Mai Tai Cafe on the 3rd level of Ala Mona in Honolulu. I sat in the open air cafe and watched the game. I was surprised to see a few tables with Big Blue Fans. Another table of Japanese tourist seemed to be amazed by the athleticism of the game. They mimicked Lee's late game dunk.
Standing just outside of the cafe was a young adult Pacific Islander who leaned on the railing that enclosed the outdoor sports bar. This guy watched every second of the game. He held both hands to his face at crucial points in the game and jumped for joy when UK made a great play/shot. I walked over to him to ask how he became a UK fan. He spoke very little English and I made no progress in learning anything about him. It never ceases to amaze me the depth of UK's following. I expect to find Blue fans worldwide but most have a strong connection to Kentucky in some manner. For some reason I got the feeling Honolulu was as close as he has ever gotten to the bluegrass state - yet he was an obvious huge fan.
Standing just outside of the cafe was a young adult Pacific Islander who leaned on the railing that enclosed the outdoor sports bar. This guy watched every second of the game. He held both hands to his face at crucial points in the game and jumped for joy when UK made a great play/shot. I walked over to him to ask how he became a UK fan. He spoke very little English and I made no progress in learning anything about him. It never ceases to amaze me the depth of UK's following. I expect to find Blue fans worldwide but most have a strong connection to Kentucky in some manner. For some reason I got the feeling Honolulu was as close as he has ever gotten to the bluegrass state - yet he was an obvious huge fan.
