The Golden Road To Unlimited Devotion

[17-15]

"I forgot my mantra."

Like Woody Allen, I have never had much tolerance for, much less interest in, the self-help movements of the 1970s. Transcendental meditation. EST. The maharishi. Rolfing.

I don’t mean to belittle them, although I confess that at times I have done so. It might be that they hold the key to the universe, at least for some people. Even if they don’t, I have landed in the same place as the older Woody Allen:

"Whatever love you can get and give, whatever happiness you can filch or provide, every temporary measure of grace, whatever works."

***

Lately, though, I have started to wonder if they were on to something. The older I get, there is something out there to which I am increasingly sensitive, and which I find more and more unbearable:

Negative energy.

There is some sweet justice in this. I have brought more than my share of negative energy over the years, as my family would readily attest. Still do, sometimes. There are, however, certain sacred spaces where I simply cannot abide it. One of those spaces is college basketball, especially Pitt basketball.

I love college basketball. I always have. Even as I have left so many other things behind, I have not left college basketball behind. Even as the forces of history and of progress and of power and of human nature conspire to make it worse, they can’t ruin it, not for me.

I love how the season unfolds, how it pulls me in, slowly, every year.

I love how it gets me through cold winter nights.

I love how players, and teams, try to grow, and succeed, and fail, and get knocked down, and get back up. Or don’t.

I love seeing young people in the absolute prime of life stand up and take their chance.

I love the teamwork.

I love the creativity.

I love how it makes me think back to other winters, other seasons, other times in my life.

I love all of it.

It is the closest I will ever come to understanding art. To me, it is art.

And I am not going to let the incredible amount of negative energy that has been directed at this program for the past year, from this board and elsewhere, ruin any of that for me.

I am going to watch it the way I want to watch it.

I am going to try to have the wins make me happier than the losses make me sad.

I am going to try to find the good in every player.

I am going to remember that the other team has its own hopes and dreams and that everything that happens is not just about our team.

I am going to take inspiration where I find it.

I am going to take the journey to wherever it ends. And then I am going to do it again.

This journey is in progress. The wheel is still in spin. This afternoon, an imperfect but proud Pitt basketball team got off the mat, ignored all of the negative energy that has been directed at them, and found a way to beat a more athletic Florida State team on the road to run its record to 16-3 overall and 5-2 in a very balanced ACC.　

Two weeks ago, I was in South Bend with an old and dear friend whose son is a freshman is at Notre Dame. As it happens, my friend is from Connecticut. We had much to discuss. As my friend said "I think it's a riot how you and my son remember the same minute details of games played years ago."

His son is all-in for the whole Notre Dame experience. He is wise beyond his years and he is very relieved. As he put it, give or take, "I grew up in what I considered to the college basketball capital of the United States. I was worried that the Irish would not be able to compete but now I know that they can. They may not be UConn but college basketball still will be a big part of my college life." And then he was unfailingly gracious in crediting a Pitt team that on that day was just a little bit better.

That’s the kind of college basketball fan I was when I was 18 years old, except for the gracious part. That’s the kind of college basketball fan I want to stay.

That’s my mantra and I hope I never forget it.

 

[Franb]

"I forgot my mantra."

Like Woody Allen, I have never had much tolerance for, much less interest in, the self-help movements of the 1970s. Transcendental meditation. EST. The maharishi. Rolfing.

I don’t mean to belittle them, although I confess that at times I have done so. It might be that they hold the key to the universe, at least for some people. Even if they don’t, I have landed in the same place as the older Woody Allen:

"Whatever love you can get and give, whatever happiness you can filch or provide, every temporary measure of grace, whatever works."

***

Lately, though, I have started to wonder if they were on to something. The older I get, there is something out there to which I am increasingly sensitive, and which I find more and more unbearable:

Negative energy.

There is some sweet justice in this. I have brought more than my share of negative energy over the years, as my family would readily attest. Still do, sometimes. There are, however, certain sacred spaces where I simply cannot abide it. One of those spaces is college basketball, especially Pitt basketball.

I love college basketball. I always have. Even as I have left so many other things behind, I have not left college basketball behind. Even as the forces of history and of progress and of power and of human nature conspire to make it worse, they can’t ruin it, not for me.

I love how the season unfolds, how it pulls me in, slowly, every year.

I love how it gets me through cold winter nights.

I love how players, and teams, try to grow, and succeed, and fail, and get knocked down, and get back up. Or don’t.

I love seeing young people in the absolute prime of life stand up and take their chance.

I love the teamwork.

I love the creativity.

I love how it makes me think back to other winters, other seasons, other times in my life.

I love all of it.

It is the closest I will ever come to understanding art. To me, it is art.

And I am not going to let the incredible amount of negative energy that has been directed at this program for the past year, from this board and elsewhere, ruin any of that for me.

I am going to watch it the way I want to watch it.

I am going to try to have the wins make me happier than the losses make me sad.

I am going to try to find the good in every player.

I am going to remember that the other team has its own hopes and dreams and that everything that happens is not just about our team.

I am going to take inspiration where I find it.

I am going to take the journey to wherever it ends. And then I am going to do it again.

This journey is in progress. The wheel is still in spin. This afternoon, an imperfect but proud Pitt basketball team got off the mat, ignored all of the negative energy that has been directed at them, and found a way to beat a more athletic Florida State team on the road to run its record to 16-3 overall and 5-2 in a very balanced ACC.　

Two weeks ago, I was in South Bend with an old and dear friend whose son is a freshman is at Notre Dame. As it happens, my friend is from Connecticut. We had much to discuss. As my friend said "I think it's a riot how you and my son remember the same minute details of games played years ago."

His son is all-in for the whole Notre Dame experience. He is wise beyond his years and he is very relieved. As he put it, give or take, "I grew up in what I considered to the college basketball capital of the United States. I was worried that the Irish would not be able to compete but now I know that they can. They may not be UConn but college basketball still will be a big part of my college life." And then he was unfailingly gracious in crediting a Pitt team that on that day was just a little bit better.

That’s the kind of college basketball fan I was when I was 18 years old, except for the gracious part. That’s the kind of college basketball fan I want to stay.

That’s my mantra and I hope I never forget it.

Omm!

 

[DT_PITT]

"I forgot my mantra."

Like Woody Allen, I have never had much tolerance for, much less interest in, the self-help movements of the 1970s. Transcendental meditation. EST. The maharishi. Rolfing.

I don’t mean to belittle them, although I confess that at times I have done so. It might be that they hold the key to the universe, at least for some people. Even if they don’t, I have landed in the same place as the older Woody Allen:

"Whatever love you can get and give, whatever happiness you can filch or provide, every temporary measure of grace, whatever works."

***

Lately, though, I have started to wonder if they were on to something. The older I get, there is something out there to which I am increasingly sensitive, and which I find more and more unbearable:

Negative energy.

There is some sweet justice in this. I have brought more than my share of negative energy over the years, as my family would readily attest. Still do, sometimes. There are, however, certain sacred spaces where I simply cannot abide it. One of those spaces is college basketball, especially Pitt basketball.

I love college basketball. I always have. Even as I have left so many other things behind, I have not left college basketball behind. Even as the forces of history and of progress and of power and of human nature conspire to make it worse, they can’t ruin it, not for me.

I love how the season unfolds, how it pulls me in, slowly, every year.

I love how it gets me through cold winter nights.

I love how players, and teams, try to grow, and succeed, and fail, and get knocked down, and get back up. Or don’t.

I love seeing young people in the absolute prime of life stand up and take their chance.

I love the teamwork.

I love the creativity.

I love how it makes me think back to other winters, other seasons, other times in my life.

I love all of it.

It is the closest I will ever come to understanding art. To me, it is art.

And I am not going to let the incredible amount of negative energy that has been directed at this program for the past year, from this board and elsewhere, ruin any of that for me.

I am going to watch it the way I want to watch it.

I am going to try to have the wins make me happier than the losses make me sad.

I am going to try to find the good in every player.

I am going to remember that the other team has its own hopes and dreams and that everything that happens is not just about our team.

I am going to take inspiration where I find it.

I am going to take the journey to wherever it ends. And then I am going to do it again.

This journey is in progress. The wheel is still in spin. This afternoon, an imperfect but proud Pitt basketball team got off the mat, ignored all of the negative energy that has been directed at them, and found a way to beat a more athletic Florida State team on the road to run its record to 16-3 overall and 5-2 in a very balanced ACC.　

Two weeks ago, I was in South Bend with an old and dear friend whose son is a freshman is at Notre Dame. As it happens, my friend is from Connecticut. We had much to discuss. As my friend said "I think it's a riot how you and my son remember the same minute details of games played years ago."

His son is all-in for the whole Notre Dame experience. He is wise beyond his years and he is very relieved. As he put it, give or take, "I grew up in what I considered to the college basketball capital of the United States. I was worried that the Irish would not be able to compete but now I know that they can. They may not be UConn but college basketball still will be a big part of my college life." And then he was unfailingly gracious in crediting a Pitt team that on that day was just a little bit better.

That’s the kind of college basketball fan I was when I was 18 years old, except for the gracious part. That’s the kind of college basketball fan I want to stay.

That’s my mantra and I hope I never forget it.

Mine too.
Thanks for reminder.

 

[MajorMajors]

"I forgot my mantra."

Like Woody Allen, I have never had much tolerance for, much less interest in, the self-help movements of the 1970s. Transcendental meditation. EST. The maharishi. Rolfing.

I don’t mean to belittle them, although I confess that at times I have done so. It might be that they hold the key to the universe, at least for some people. Even if they don’t, I have landed in the same place as the older Woody Allen:

"Whatever love you can get and give, whatever happiness you can filch or provide, every temporary measure of grace, whatever works."

***

Lately, though, I have started to wonder if they were on to something. The older I get, there is something out there to which I am increasingly sensitive, and which I find more and more unbearable:

Negative energy.

There is some sweet justice in this. I have brought more than my share of negative energy over the years, as my family would readily attest. Still do, sometimes. There are, however, certain sacred spaces where I simply cannot abide it. One of those spaces is college basketball, especially Pitt basketball.

I love college basketball. I always have. Even as I have left so many other things behind, I have not left college basketball behind. Even as the forces of history and of progress and of power and of human nature conspire to make it worse, they can’t ruin it, not for me.

I love how the season unfolds, how it pulls me in, slowly, every year.

I love how it gets me through cold winter nights.

I love how players, and teams, try to grow, and succeed, and fail, and get knocked down, and get back up. Or don’t.

I love seeing young people in the absolute prime of life stand up and take their chance.

I love the teamwork.

I love the creativity.

I love how it makes me think back to other winters, other seasons, other times in my life.

I love all of it.

It is the closest I will ever come to understanding art. To me, it is art.

And I am not going to let the incredible amount of negative energy that has been directed at this program for the past year, from this board and elsewhere, ruin any of that for me.

I am going to watch it the way I want to watch it.

I am going to try to have the wins make me happier than the losses make me sad.

I am going to try to find the good in every player.

I am going to remember that the other team has its own hopes and dreams and that everything that happens is not just about our team.

I am going to take inspiration where I find it.

I am going to take the journey to wherever it ends. And then I am going to do it again.

This journey is in progress. The wheel is still in spin. This afternoon, an imperfect but proud Pitt basketball team got off the mat, ignored all of the negative energy that has been directed at them, and found a way to beat a more athletic Florida State team on the road to run its record to 16-3 overall and 5-2 in a very balanced ACC.　

Two weeks ago, I was in South Bend with an old and dear friend whose son is a freshman is at Notre Dame. As it happens, my friend is from Connecticut. We had much to discuss. As my friend said "I think it's a riot how you and my son remember the same minute details of games played years ago."

His son is all-in for the whole Notre Dame experience. He is wise beyond his years and he is very relieved. As he put it, give or take, "I grew up in what I considered to the college basketball capital of the United States. I was worried that the Irish would not be able to compete but now I know that they can. They may not be UConn but college basketball still will be a big part of my college life." And then he was unfailingly gracious in crediting a Pitt team that on that day was just a little bit better.

That’s the kind of college basketball fan I was when I was 18 years old, except for the gracious part. That’s the kind of college basketball fan I want to stay.

That’s my mantra and I hope I never forget it.

Awesome post 17-15. I think I'm going to copy it and save it.

I was reminded about "negative energy" when I attended the ill-fated Pitt-North Carolina State game the other night. Pitt didn't play well - to say the least - but the woman 2 seats over from me kept cheering for Pitt in a very positive manner no matter what transpired on the court. I complimented her for maintaining her positive attitude and for being such a good Pitt fan.

I too have been guilty of getting down or as my wife reminds me - getting grumpy - about the Pitt Panthers. Since I'm at an age where I likely don't have all that many years left to root for the Panthers, I'm trying to be more positive - and just enjoy the competitions.

I played baseball at Pitt and I wasn't the best, but I did the best I could. I know that the players are giving us their best, and that at the college level, sports are not nearly as easy to play as they might appear.

Go Pitt.

 

[IamHeisenberg]

"I forgot my mantra."

Like Woody Allen, I have never had much tolerance for, much less interest in, the self-help movements of the 1970s. Transcendental meditation. EST. The maharishi. Rolfing.

I don’t mean to belittle them, although I confess that at times I have done so. It might be that they hold the key to the universe, at least for some people. Even if they don’t, I have landed in the same place as the older Woody Allen:

"Whatever love you can get and give, whatever happiness you can filch or provide, every temporary measure of grace, whatever works."

***

Lately, though, I have started to wonder if they were on to something. The older I get, there is something out there to which I am increasingly sensitive, and which I find more and more unbearable:

Negative energy.

There is some sweet justice in this. I have brought more than my share of negative energy over the years, as my family would readily attest. Still do, sometimes. There are, however, certain sacred spaces where I simply cannot abide it. One of those spaces is college basketball, especially Pitt basketball.

I love college basketball. I always have. Even as I have left so many other things behind, I have not left college basketball behind. Even as the forces of history and of progress and of power and of human nature conspire to make it worse, they can’t ruin it, not for me.

I love how the season unfolds, how it pulls me in, slowly, every year.

I love how it gets me through cold winter nights.

I love how players, and teams, try to grow, and succeed, and fail, and get knocked down, and get back up. Or don’t.

I love seeing young people in the absolute prime of life stand up and take their chance.

I love the teamwork.

I love the creativity.

I love how it makes me think back to other winters, other seasons, other times in my life.

I love all of it.

It is the closest I will ever come to understanding art. To me, it is art.

And I am not going to let the incredible amount of negative energy that has been directed at this program for the past year, from this board and elsewhere, ruin any of that for me.

I am going to watch it the way I want to watch it.

I am going to try to have the wins make me happier than the losses make me sad.

I am going to try to find the good in every player.

I am going to remember that the other team has its own hopes and dreams and that everything that happens is not just about our team.

I am going to take inspiration where I find it.

I am going to take the journey to wherever it ends. And then I am going to do it again.

This journey is in progress. The wheel is still in spin. This afternoon, an imperfect but proud Pitt basketball team got off the mat, ignored all of the negative energy that has been directed at them, and found a way to beat a more athletic Florida State team on the road to run its record to 16-3 overall and 5-2 in a very balanced ACC.　

Two weeks ago, I was in South Bend with an old and dear friend whose son is a freshman is at Notre Dame. As it happens, my friend is from Connecticut. We had much to discuss. As my friend said "I think it's a riot how you and my son remember the same minute details of games played years ago."

His son is all-in for the whole Notre Dame experience. He is wise beyond his years and he is very relieved. As he put it, give or take, "I grew up in what I considered to the college basketball capital of the United States. I was worried that the Irish would not be able to compete but now I know that they can. They may not be UConn but college basketball still will be a big part of my college life." And then he was unfailingly gracious in crediting a Pitt team that on that day was just a little bit better.

That’s the kind of college basketball fan I was when I was 18 years old, except for the gracious part. That’s the kind of college basketball fan I want to stay.

That’s my mantra and I hope I never forget it.

My mantra about everything is to not care what anyone else thinks about what I like or don't like. Being influenced by the negativity of others seems silly if you like or even dislike something. That does not mean you can't be passionate about things. It also doesn't mean you can't be critical of things when it is time for that.

 

[Pav9870]

Greatly appreciate your prose. Sobering thoughts to someone who can lose their objectivity during the heat of action. Let's hope that the Panthers can paint some more masterpieces over the remainder of the season.

 

[wbrpanther]

"I forgot my mantra."

Like Woody Allen, I have never had much tolerance for, much less interest in, the self-help movements of the 1970s. Transcendental meditation. EST. The maharishi. Rolfing.

I don’t mean to belittle them, although I confess that at times I have done so. It might be that they hold the key to the universe, at least for some people. Even if they don’t, I have landed in the same place as the older Woody Allen:

"Whatever love you can get and give, whatever happiness you can filch or provide, every temporary measure of grace, whatever works."

***

Lately, though, I have started to wonder if they were on to something. The older I get, there is something out there to which I am increasingly sensitive, and which I find more and more unbearable:

Negative energy.

There is some sweet justice in this. I have brought more than my share of negative energy over the years, as my family would readily attest. Still do, sometimes. There are, however, certain sacred spaces where I simply cannot abide it. One of those spaces is college basketball, especially Pitt basketball.

I love college basketball. I always have. Even as I have left so many other things behind, I have not left college basketball behind. Even as the forces of history and of progress and of power and of human nature conspire to make it worse, they can’t ruin it, not for me.

I love how the season unfolds, how it pulls me in, slowly, every year.

I love how it gets me through cold winter nights.

I love how players, and teams, try to grow, and succeed, and fail, and get knocked down, and get back up. Or don’t.

I love seeing young people in the absolute prime of life stand up and take their chance.

I love the teamwork.

I love the creativity.

I love how it makes me think back to other winters, other seasons, other times in my life.

I love all of it.

It is the closest I will ever come to understanding art. To me, it is art.

And I am not going to let the incredible amount of negative energy that has been directed at this program for the past year, from this board and elsewhere, ruin any of that for me.

I am going to watch it the way I want to watch it.

I am going to try to have the wins make me happier than the losses make me sad.

I am going to try to find the good in every player.

I am going to remember that the other team has its own hopes and dreams and that everything that happens is not just about our team.

I am going to take inspiration where I find it.

I am going to take the journey to wherever it ends. And then I am going to do it again.

This journey is in progress. The wheel is still in spin. This afternoon, an imperfect but proud Pitt basketball team got off the mat, ignored all of the negative energy that has been directed at them, and found a way to beat a more athletic Florida State team on the road to run its record to 16-3 overall and 5-2 in a very balanced ACC.　

Two weeks ago, I was in South Bend with an old and dear friend whose son is a freshman is at Notre Dame. As it happens, my friend is from Connecticut. We had much to discuss. As my friend said "I think it's a riot how you and my son remember the same minute details of games played years ago."

His son is all-in for the whole Notre Dame experience. He is wise beyond his years and he is very relieved. As he put it, give or take, "I grew up in what I considered to the college basketball capital of the United States. I was worried that the Irish would not be able to compete but now I know that they can. They may not be UConn but college basketball still will be a big part of my college life." And then he was unfailingly gracious in crediting a Pitt team that on that day was just a little bit better.

That’s the kind of college basketball fan I was when I was 18 years old, except for the gracious part. That’s the kind of college basketball fan I want to stay.

That’s my mantra and I hope I never forget it.

Wonderful post. You must be very much devoted to your mantra to keep coming back to the Lair, AKA " negative energy central".

 

[HailToPitt1985]

Great post, 17-15. I'd have to say it's one of the best posts ever on this board. I will certainly remember it and try and use it in practice.

 

[Ski11585]

"I forgot my mantra."

Like Woody Allen, I have never had much tolerance for, much less interest in, the self-help movements of the 1970s. Transcendental meditation. EST. The maharishi. Rolfing.

I don’t mean to belittle them, although I confess that at times I have done so. It might be that they hold the key to the universe, at least for some people. Even if they don’t, I have landed in the same place as the older Woody Allen:

"Whatever love you can get and give, whatever happiness you can filch or provide, every temporary measure of grace, whatever works."

***

Lately, though, I have started to wonder if they were on to something. The older I get, there is something out there to which I am increasingly sensitive, and which I find more and more unbearable:

Negative energy.

There is some sweet justice in this. I have brought more than my share of negative energy over the years, as my family would readily attest. Still do, sometimes. There are, however, certain sacred spaces where I simply cannot abide it. One of those spaces is college basketball, especially Pitt basketball.

I love college basketball. I always have. Even as I have left so many other things behind, I have not left college basketball behind. Even as the forces of history and of progress and of power and of human nature conspire to make it worse, they can’t ruin it, not for me.

I love how the season unfolds, how it pulls me in, slowly, every year.

I love how it gets me through cold winter nights.

I love how players, and teams, try to grow, and succeed, and fail, and get knocked down, and get back up. Or don’t.

I love seeing young people in the absolute prime of life stand up and take their chance.

I love the teamwork.

I love the creativity.

I love how it makes me think back to other winters, other seasons, other times in my life.

I love all of it.

It is the closest I will ever come to understanding art. To me, it is art.

And I am not going to let the incredible amount of negative energy that has been directed at this program for the past year, from this board and elsewhere, ruin any of that for me.

I am going to watch it the way I want to watch it.

I am going to try to have the wins make me happier than the losses make me sad.

I am going to try to find the good in every player.

I am going to remember that the other team has its own hopes and dreams and that everything that happens is not just about our team.

I am going to take inspiration where I find it.

I am going to take the journey to wherever it ends. And then I am going to do it again.

This journey is in progress. The wheel is still in spin. This afternoon, an imperfect but proud Pitt basketball team got off the mat, ignored all of the negative energy that has been directed at them, and found a way to beat a more athletic Florida State team on the road to run its record to 16-3 overall and 5-2 in a very balanced ACC.　

Two weeks ago, I was in South Bend with an old and dear friend whose son is a freshman is at Notre Dame. As it happens, my friend is from Connecticut. We had much to discuss. As my friend said "I think it's a riot how you and my son remember the same minute details of games played years ago."

His son is all-in for the whole Notre Dame experience. He is wise beyond his years and he is very relieved. As he put it, give or take, "I grew up in what I considered to the college basketball capital of the United States. I was worried that the Irish would not be able to compete but now I know that they can. They may not be UConn but college basketball still will be a big part of my college life." And then he was unfailingly gracious in crediting a Pitt team that on that day was just a little bit better.

That’s the kind of college basketball fan I was when I was 18 years old, except for the gracious part. That’s the kind of college basketball fan I want to stay.

That’s my mantra and I hope I never forget it.

Wonderful post. I do my best to approach my sports viewing with the same positive attitude. A lot of it has to do with shifting priorities in my life that has minimized the impact a games' outcome has on my mood. I want Pitt to win, but I won't let a loss bring me that much negativity.

I also am far more interested in the journey. Maybe that makes me a bad fan that settles for mediocrity, but I just want to enjoy the entire season.a round of 32 loss won't eliminate a fun season for me as a fan.

And really, me being hype negative and posting about every single flaw won't impact the team one single bit. It's silly.

 

[npl1127]

17-15,

Years ago I discovered a column writer by the name of Satch Carlson. I picked up an Autoweek in a tire store waiting room and found his weekly column. I asked the owner if I could grab a few of the older mags to take with me. After his OK, I took a couple of years worth of mags with me. Mr Carlson wrote ostensibly about cars but he was so much more than an auto writer. When he became a contributor to the BMW car club magazine Roundel, and eventually its editor, I followed him there. I look forward to every word he puts to a page.
You sir, I have found over the past years, are his equivalent. Thank you for sharing with us. I, for one, truly appreciate what you do with a keyboard.

 

[HailToPitt1985]

Good stuff, guys.

 

[vinniep33]

"I forgot my mantra."

Like Woody Allen, I have never had much tolerance for, much less interest in, the self-help movements of the 1970s. Transcendental meditation. EST. The maharishi. Rolfing.

I don’t mean to belittle them, although I confess that at times I have done so. It might be that they hold the key to the universe, at least for some people. Even if they don’t, I have landed in the same place as the older Woody Allen:

"Whatever love you can get and give, whatever happiness you can filch or provide, every temporary measure of grace, whatever works."

***

Lately, though, I have started to wonder if they were on to something. The older I get, there is something out there to which I am increasingly sensitive, and which I find more and more unbearable:

Negative energy.

There is some sweet justice in this. I have brought more than my share of negative energy over the years, as my family would readily attest. Still do, sometimes. There are, however, certain sacred spaces where I simply cannot abide it. One of those spaces is college basketball, especially Pitt basketball.

I love college basketball. I always have. Even as I have left so many other things behind, I have not left college basketball behind. Even as the forces of history and of progress and of power and of human nature conspire to make it worse, they can’t ruin it, not for me.

I love how the season unfolds, how it pulls me in, slowly, every year.

I love how it gets me through cold winter nights.

I love how players, and teams, try to grow, and succeed, and fail, and get knocked down, and get back up. Or don’t.

I love seeing young people in the absolute prime of life stand up and take their chance.

I love the teamwork.

I love the creativity.

I love how it makes me think back to other winters, other seasons, other times in my life.

I love all of it.

It is the closest I will ever come to understanding art. To me, it is art.

And I am not going to let the incredible amount of negative energy that has been directed at this program for the past year, from this board and elsewhere, ruin any of that for me.

I am going to watch it the way I want to watch it.

I am going to try to have the wins make me happier than the losses make me sad.

I am going to try to find the good in every player.

I am going to remember that the other team has its own hopes and dreams and that everything that happens is not just about our team.

I am going to take inspiration where I find it.

I am going to take the journey to wherever it ends. And then I am going to do it again.

This journey is in progress. The wheel is still in spin. This afternoon, an imperfect but proud Pitt basketball team got off the mat, ignored all of the negative energy that has been directed at them, and found a way to beat a more athletic Florida State team on the road to run its record to 16-3 overall and 5-2 in a very balanced ACC.　

Two weeks ago, I was in South Bend with an old and dear friend whose son is a freshman is at Notre Dame. As it happens, my friend is from Connecticut. We had much to discuss. As my friend said "I think it's a riot how you and my son remember the same minute details of games played years ago."

His son is all-in for the whole Notre Dame experience. He is wise beyond his years and he is very relieved. As he put it, give or take, "I grew up in what I considered to the college basketball capital of the United States. I was worried that the Irish would not be able to compete but now I know that they can. They may not be UConn but college basketball still will be a big part of my college life." And then he was unfailingly gracious in crediting a Pitt team that on that day was just a little bit better.

That’s the kind of college basketball fan I was when I was 18 years old, except for the gracious part. That’s the kind of college basketball fan I want to stay.

That’s my mantra and I hope I never forget it.

Shut up! Jamie sux!! Lol.

Just kidding. His recruiting needs a lot of work though.

 

[Thee Jackie Treehorn]

Disregard the troglodytes. There are many of us who appreciate what you write here, 17-15.