Kelly Calligan, Assistant Photo Editor

Everything was set for March Madness to kick off.

The pregame jitters were building.

Marquette and Alabama players were on buses heading to Cox Arena.

Fans were gathering at the entrances, waiting for their chance to be a part of the NCAA Tournament.

But when a pair of bomb-sniffing dogs alerted authorities to a condiment cart on the upper concourse of the arena, madness was pushed back as reality set in.

After a more thorough examination by tournament security and San Diego Police and Fire officials, though, it was determined that there was nothing dangerous about the cart and that the games could resume.

“The first pair of dogs alerted (security) on the package, but a second team of dogs brought in did not,” University Police Lt. Robert McManus said. “However, once the first team of dogs alerted, it kicked in a set of security procedures that included an evacuation of the arena and a postponement of the games while we swept the area.”

But the players didn’t seem phased by the delay.

“We just knew we had to come out there and play the game,” Alabama guard Ronald Steele said. “(Marquette) had to deal with the same problems, and these kind(s) of situations are no excuse.”

Steele’s head coach Mark Gottfried pointed out that delays are nothing new in the world of sports.

“We had a situation when we played Kentucky where it took nine hours to make a one-hour trip due to travel problems,” Gottfried said. “You can’t control these things, you just have to overcome them.”