A View From the Zoo: Pandemonium in Tucson

If there is a word to describe what Arizona Wildcat fans are feeling right now, I am still searching to find it.  With almost every student at the University of Arizona partying in the streets around campus, college professors are cringing in their homes. 

With an improbable 93-77 clobbering of Duke, Arizona has its eyes set on another East Coast foe in Saturday's Elite 8 showdown.  The Huskies and Wildcats play at 4 pm Pacific time (7pm eastern).

I personally went to a "Wildcat Watch" set up by the ZonaZoo at a restaurant on University and it was a ridiculous atmosphere.

Throughout the entire game, chants were flying off the wall, high-fives galore and shots being downed faster than cars on the autobahn.  It was a basketball game atmosphere without actually being at the game.

Then came the partying.

As I exited the restaurant, 15 police cars and double or more officers were visible just in case anything got out of hand like in 2001 when cars were being overturned and windows being smashed.

University and 4th avenue were reportedly closed due to the mass number of people congregating in the streets.  With it being the first time since 2005 that Arizona has been in the Elite 8, fans needed no excuse to block traffic. 

For the next 40 or so hours, Arizona fans and players will get to celebrate, brag, whatever one wants to do with an Elite 8 appearance. 

But once the ball is thrown up on Saturday, all accomplishments go out the window and for the next 40 minutes, we will be back on the edge of our seats, cheering on the team that we all love.