The Longest Post Ever

Where do I even begin?

How do you write about the greatest night of your life without ruining it with your inability to describe it perfectly?

It's a daunting task.

I guess I'll just do my best and start at the beginning.

That seems logical.

So Megan and I got to the Energy Solutions Arena 2 hours before the game started so that we could see the teams warm up. We hustled in, found our seats, and then headed over to the tunnel where the Pacers were trickling out to start warming up. Ben Hansbrough, Tyler's brother, was already warming up. And let me tell you, just seeing him made my heart stop. Anyway, so we sat by the tunnel waiting for Tyler to come out. Every person that walked out through that tunnel made my heart jump. We waited for what seemed like a million years but was probably only 45 minutes when FINALLY I saw him. I saw Tyler Hansbrough, in real life, moving, breathing, walking out of that tunnel. And so I jumped up. I jumped up and yelled "Tyler!" I really did that. I really yelled out his name and guess what? He really heard me. And he turned around and looked at me. He looked at my jersey, which is his jersey, and then he looked at my face. MY FACE. And then he held up his index finger at me as if to say "give me a minute" and then he went on the court to warm up. And that's when the shaking started and so did the tears. Yes. The tears. And I don't mean to sound cheesy or dumb but I have loved Tyler Hansbrough for 8 years. For 8 years I have dreamed and imagined seeing him play live and of meeting him. And then there he was. Stretching, dribbling, shooting. Plus I was only a few feet from him. It was incredible. All his movements that I had only seen on t.v. were happening right in front of me. Plus they were playing music. Music always makes things more emotional. Hence the tears. But just to be clear the tears didn't actually fall. I pushed them back hoping Megan, who was sitting next to me, wouldn't notice them. So there I am watching Tyler Hansbrough warm up and I'm shaking and probably looking like a fool when I get interrupted by one of the arena workers. He proceeds to tell me that he's been watching me and can tell that I am totally mesmerized by one of the players and he wanted to know which one had my eye. Without looking away from Tyler I tell him that I'm a Hansbrough fan. We chat for a while and he asks me questions like "Is he your favorite player?", "How long have you loved him?", and all that personal stuff. Then he became useful as he instructed me to go back to the tunnel and said that he would find me a sharpie, as I had forgotten mine and which he had found out through all his probing. So this worker found me a sharpie and I continued waiting for Tyler by the tunnel. When I saw him finish up his warm-up I quickly took off my jersey and had that marker ready. My heart was pounding so hard I think you could see it through my chest. The next thing I know Tyler is walking past me and I can't hardly breath and then he looks at me in my face and says "Come back after the game and I'll sign it. I swear." I swear. He said that. He said those words to me. TO ME! Blakeney Hanline. I don't know how I didn't just melt to the floor right then. However it probably had a lot to do with all the surrounding workers laughter. They were laughing at me because, as they put it, they hear athletes tell fans that all the time and the athletes never come back. But I didn't even care. I didn't care because Tyler Hansbrough spoke to me! So then I floated back to our seats so that we could watch the game. And let me tell y'all... it was awesome. Watching Tyler do what he does best was just unreal. Oh it was so great. Unfortunately the Pacers lost in OT but it didn't even matter because Tyler was great. He played about 13 minutes and had, I think, 10 points. He's amazing. So the game ends and I'm just watching Tyler and as he is leaving through the tunnel I thought I saw him looking in the crowd but then quickly told myself to stop being creepy and let that thought go. As soon as the Jazz fans got out the way Megan and I made our way back to the tunnel where we were greeted by one of the workers who had laughed at me. He told us that he saw Tyler looking for us! Now he was kind of old and maybe he was being creepy too so I just let that go as well. We started waiting again, hoping that Tyler would return, when a worker told us that unless we had post-game passes we had to leave. I started to panic a little but then Sharpie worker saved the day again. We were allowed to stay! We waited and waited.  And where we were standing we could look straight up the tunnel and see all the Pacers as they were coming out of their locker room. Each one that walked out made my heart stop until I realized he wasn't Tyler. I saw Ben Hansbrough leave. And I saw Miles Plumlee leave too (gross). Then FINALLY there he was. Tyler walked out and walked past the tunnel. I could hardly stand it. Thankfully someone called his name and he turned around, looked down the tunnel, and saw me standing there with my jersey in one hand and that sharpie in the other. That's when he put his bag down and came jogging down the tunnel towards us. This is when my mind went blank. I couldn't think of what to say or do. Luckily he started talking first. He said "I was looking for you after the game." My response? I just handed him my jersey. He flipped it over and started signing it while telling me that he had to hurry because he had to go. I think at this point I told him he played a great game but maybe those words didn't actually leave my lips, I might have just thought them. Then he handed me back my jersey and I said "Thank you so much" to which he replied "Mhmm. You're welcome." Then, THEN, he asked me if I wanted to take a picture. HE ASKED ME!!! I was in absolute paradise. Of course I wanted to and that's when he opened up his arm for me. ME! So I slid next to him and he put his arm around me and I put my arm around him. And it was fabulous. I wish I could tell you all the thoughts and feelings going on inside my head and heart in that moment but I can't. I was just thoughtless and feelingless. Then it was all over and he had to go. We watched him leave and then another worker came up to me and said he had never seen that before. He said he was really impressed that he came back. I thought to myself  "Well of course he came back. He's Tyler Hansbrough." He's the greatest basketball player of all time as far as I'm concerned. And he talked to me. He looked at me. He touched me! It was surreal. And I'm still not over it. I'll never get over it. I'll love him forever. (Not that I wasn't already planning on loving him forever.) It was the greatest night people. It truly was. And I'm so thankful to all of my friends who got me these tickets and helped my dream come true. And I'm so thankful that my very best friend, Megan, got to be the one with me. She's wonderful. I will always be thankful for that night and so thankful that I got to learn first hand that Tyler really does deserve to be on the pedestal I put him on 8 years ago.

Now enjoy some pictures and videos from the best night ever!!!