You had to know that Buffalo Grove coach Tom Dineen’s last game would be emotional. In the Bison’s third-place game, a 66-50 win over Marist, Dineen and his three Bison assistant coaches were decked out in black suits and not their usual sweaters. You had the feeling it was a special occasion.
BG’s offense went nuts in the first quarter and the Bison were up 24-5. At one point, BG was ahead by 30. As each player was taken out of the game and subbed out, Redbird Arena became more and more emotional.
The final horn sounded and both teams filed into the tunnel for the postgame press conference. It had finally hit Dineen. He stood outside the entrace to the locker rooms and composed himself (or tried to) as photographers snapped his reaction to the final game of a 29-year career. It seemed the more he tried to compose himself, the more upset he became and he had to release the tears.
The press conference was even more wrenching. There wasn’t a tearless eye in the room, even among writers. Dineen tried to keep his trademark dry wit intact. “I’m officially unemployed,” he said. But as he started to thank us, the media, and his players the sobs became louder and the tears just rolled out.
One can only wonder what it would have been like in this arena had the Bison been to the title game and won. I’m sure they would have blown the roof off of this place.
Dineen is truly one of the good ones.