Welcome to Athens

This morning the Davidson Swimming and Diving squads hopped on a bus and rode 4 hours to Athens, Georgia. The conference championship has arrived and is the zenith to our season; everything the Wildcats have worked for is on display at the University of Georgia for three exciting days of competition.

The journey to Athens started much sooner than the 9AM departure. Every NCAA student-athlete has a level of commitment and sacrifice that the sport and college ask for. Tomorrow marks the beginning of the final steps in this 2008-2009 journey. It, indeed, is a marathon, but when you see that finish line, that's when you want to be your best.

There is a terrific article that I've read on CNN that summarizes what it's like to be a swimmer on this Wildcat team. The parallels to the team and the athletes described by Bob Greene may not immediately smack you in the face. Yet, I can't help but sift through the words of the author, and not only reflect on Davidson, our season, and what I've been able to carve as a coaching craftsman.

There are numerous choices that each of us make in the course of a season. The risk is great. The reward can be greater. That reward can be a choice that was previously made to do something well or ill.

I am extremely proud of these Cats. There will be time (beginning next week) to further expand on this pride. For now, we'll strap-in, witness their glancing eyes focus on the task at hand, and catch that moment when they are their finest. It should be a great three days...

Pittsburgh Sports Report - February 13th

I have to start this posting with a great column written by Bill Simmons of ESPN. He is one of my favorite writers for a number of reasons - one of which is his unique ability to encapsulate things that I've uniquely pondered in my sports universe since I was four. Bill begins his latest article with a You Tube clip; it's to the right. If you are a sports fan, you too will listen to it 23 times in 48 hours. The article is great too, (hilarious section on Luol Deng) but if you're not a sports fan, you'll appreciate the first three paragraphs and then move on with your life.

Second, the last time I wrote a PSR, an anonymous "fan" said that I wrote "french benefits" instead of fringe benefits. Yes, I did. And this was on purpose, mostly to pay tribute to one of the greatest commercials of the early 21st century. My buddies Crispino and Watts love this commercial, too, and I think I've mimicked it enough that it's used in their daily conversation - not as much as I use it, though.

Now to business...It's a great time to be from Pittsburgh. The PSR feels the sun shining on us and for good reason:

The Steelers Super Bowl victory, as documented in a previous entry, is more than meaningful. There is a large difference in this bunch versus the team that beat Seattle three years earlier. This time, our head coach understands the franchise is measured in Super Bowl trophies and I truly feel they will be ready for the draft, mini-camp, training camp, and the 2009 schedule. We are also in serious discussions with James Harrison - understanding his true value as a player and leader.

Beating San Jose on Wednesday was huge for the Penguins. The night before, the Sharks put a thumping on Boston - the best team in the Eastern Conference, and defeating a team of their caliber goes a long way, even if they are not in the same conference. Since the last PSR, the Penguins have gone 7-5-1. It's good enough to give me hope they'll turn it on, but bad enough to expect them to fall short of the postseason. They just need to remember how to score again.

Pitchers and catchers report today for the Pirates and position players will report the beginning of next week. I'm excited about the hometown nine, excited about the coaching, excited at the development, and excited that we've draped ourselves in new uniforms. Pirate fans count to date: at least 602 - we passionate baseball lovers enjoy the sound of the ball hitting the catcher's mitt; a sign of hope eternal (and by eternal, I mean through May 10th.)

There has been a lot of buzz on ESPN about Pitt facing UConn this Monday. I will be recording the contest (due to coaching obligations) and relying on my loyalty to the program to get them through the first half. However, the Panthers face Cincinnati tomorrow and the Bearcats are no slouch. They've won three in a row and are determined to get a quality win for the tournament committee to notice.

And how about Duquesne basketball! I don't remember the last time the Dukes were at the top half of the Atlantic 10 standings. The victory over Xavier was great, but beating a better Temple team at home would go a long way towards conference legitimacy

Family Notes:

In Pitt's recent defeat of West Virginia, Christa was working the media table and located behind Coach Bob Huggins. We get a good shot of my sister with about 12 minutes to go in the game. ESPN zooms in on Huggy Bear who is visibly angered by his team's lack of defense, and in the background is Christa, smiling and giving commentary to her two worker friends. So proud one of us made ESPN.

Mom and Dad share this spot because they are currently in Florida on vacation in Orlando attending a wedding. Christa is there as well (I guess she's on vacation time) and they are enjoying the sunshine and paradise that comes with Florida. They never tell me this stuff (or at least that I can remember.) This is the fourth time in 3 years they've gone on vacation, called me while they were there to inform me, and me being in the dark. But I'm glad they're living the good life.

Mammaw's been my valentine forever. I miss her a ton and hope she's doing well.

Happy Valentine's Day to all!

Black, Red, and White All Over

On Saturday night, I had the privilege of attending the Davidson vs. College of Charleston basketball tilt. The outcome was not very good for the home team as the Wildcats not only lost on national television, but had their Southern Conference winning streak of 43 snapped, as well as their 27-game home winning streak.

The buzz around the campus was palpable throughout the week. After all, Davidson would be welcoming Dick Vitale to this tiny college and there was no reason to believe the team would stumble, even to a formidable conference foe. Throughout February or so, Davidson was promoting a "Black-Out Belk" event - people could purchase a "Black-Out Belk" t-shirt for the game, creating a unified and fairly intimidating scene for the visiting Cougars (it should be noted that the proceeds for purchasing the t-shirts went to charity.)

After the defeat I went home and, like most rip-roaring Saturday nights, looked for the best basketball game on TV around 10PM. What do you know - New Mexico State at Nevada. And hey, looky there - everyone in Nevada's arena is wearing white in hopes of creating a White-Out. I would say that 75% of the lower bowl was wearing white with less that half of the home faithful wearing their white garb - it didn't look that impressive.

Same night - Duquesne upsets Xavier and the home crowd is wearing RED t-shirts for a Red OUT!!!

Same night - Gonzaga distribute free navy t-shirts to everyone in the crowd for their contest against Memphis. THEY WEREN'T EVEN PLAYING IN THEIR HOME ARENA; they played at the downtown site to hold more paying customers. I would say a hair more than half of these folks proudly displayed their ZAGS shirt for the big NAVY OUT.

In this small sample of color overload, the home team won once and lost three. This really bothered me when I woke up the next morning. How could a fan be given one option of shirt to wear to a game? It looked more like a marketing ploy to get the attention of a cable audience. Charleston, New Mexico State and Memphis didn't care much about how many of the same t-shirt their hosts wear wearing; they took it to their hosts and probably used it more as fuel to their fire than as an extinguisher.

I can remember the first OUT I saw as a youth. Back in high school, I was a pretty large sports nerd (shock) and would watch late-night, west coast playoff hockey. While at a friend's house for a raucous Friday night high school party - that included pizza and Super Nintendo - we watched the Phoenix Coyotes have their entire crowd dressed in white. That was the coolest thing I had seen at a sporting event - it literally looked like a white shield along the glass. I'm 99% sure the Coyote fans did not receive a free t-shirt for attending the game; it was just a tradition the local paper started that worked really well.

And since copying is the best form of flattery, I remember during my senior year of high school, putting signs all along the halls of Fox Chapel, requesting for my friends and acquaintances to wear white for Senior Night of the basketball season. I know it wasn't like having 18,000 hockey fans, but it was to show a sign of unity and I know that Joe and Andy and Tsai would think it was super cool. Well, I think 40-45 kids read the memo and instead of looking like a mob squad, it looked like we called each other the night before to pick matching outfits.

The day after the Davidson game, I watched Illinois destroy the visiting Purdue Boilermakers and the whole crowd was wearing orange. That was loyalty at its finest. Fans need to want to wear their team's colors and logo, not be told it would be the cool thing to do or catch the eyes of people watching television. When you go to a Nebraska Cornhusker football game, try getting through the gates wearing anything except red. Do you think anyone in Green Bay has a Packer jersey? What about at Yankee Stadium or Fenway Park - do you think those fans organize a NAVY OUT so their team knows they support them?

Having an OUT is as much of a representation of loyalty as vegetarian wearing a fur coat. Let's do what we can to keep OUTS out of our sports culture. And if you are going to stamp a requirement on the color you are going to wear to a contest, here are three rules that must be applied:

Rule #1 - If you don't wear the color that you are asked to drape yourself in, you are ejected from the game. You either are not a fan or you're too shallow.

Rule #2 - The home team is allowed one OUT per season. Failure to create a complete OUT results in a three-year probation from "forced attire regulations."

Rule #3 - No distribution of shirts for free as a gimmick. You must all wear the same color of cloak that you own or a t-shirt whose purchases all go to charity. Note: if you are not going to wear the shirt after the specified OUT, you will be asked to return the item to the distributor once the game is over and be banned from admittance for the remainder of the season.

Colors, mascots, and logos are what fans live for in what they choose to wear. Here's to fan loyalty and never once feeling like you were left OUT.

Could Never Imagine...

First I would like to apologize for not submitting an entry in over two weeks. Part of it was due to a lack of free time, but it was mostly because the consummate presence circulating through my head for the past 15 days revolved around the Steelers.

The Steelers did not need me to write how I thought the outcome would unfold or break down what I will do leading to the Super Bowl. I tried to maintain my regular lifestyle, prepare like I always prepare for life’s challenges, and treat the next game like the previous one. And since this was stated by our head coach, Mike Tomlin, and since I feel a sacred kinship with him – having both survived William and Mary and long to be great coaches – I felt compelled to obey.

Every passing day between the Ravens game and the Cardinals game, it sunk in more and more that we were in the Super Bowl, culminating with this past Sunday. And yes, I was nervous and hopeful, but at the same time, I had a confidence that everything was going to be OK. Since defeating the Seahawks three Super Bowls ago, I really never imagined us returning to the big game until ten years or so down the line – not for any good reason – I just thought the NFL’s parity would give way to the Chargers or Jaguars, or Jets making it there. Coupled with the difficult schedule, I was hoping, like every season, to make the playoffs and take the postseason tournament one game at a time. This was all a bonus.

Super Bowl Sunday was terrific on a number of fronts, some deeper than others. I just had an enormous amount of pride for my family and the city and culture that I was shaped by through the Steelers (how’s that for deep.) The day went by slowly for me. I finally made it to the national anthem and, after its conclusion, I assumed my usual position on the floor, hoodie on, no food, no folks around to comment, no yelling, just me and my television for the next 3.5 hours.
There really isn’t a facet to the game that I’ve uncovered that has not been detected over the last three days. I recorded it so I can find nuances that I might not have spotted the first time. Of the many sports theories I have, a strong one is - being up 13 points is a 95% guarantee that you will lose the lead.

What do you know?

The Cardinals go-ahead touchdown was probably the best thing that could have happened to us. Instead of pretending to protect a lead in the biggest game of the season, we attempted to snatch the victory. Truthfully, I was hoping for overtime; I yearned for Ben not to throw over the middle too much and hoped he used good judgment throwing the ball away if he were in trouble. When Santonio got us to the 5 with his catch and run – I still never imagined we would punch it in. With Warner turning the ball over in this same spot in the first half, I thought we would be super-conservative.

And after Santonio made the catch and the referee signaled ‘touchdown,’ I pointed at the clock on the television at how much time was left. There was no time to celebrate. (That’s not entirely true; I was politely asking Skippy to make the extra point, while noting the 35 seconds left in the game for Warner to break our hearts.)

BAM - Warner to Fitzgerald to the Arizona 43 and Warner to Arrington across midfield in a blink of an eye. So now I was thinking he’d go for an outside pass for another 20 yards before setting up a heave to Fitzgerald. I was stunned to see Warner dance in the pocket, buying time in hopes of a deep bomb in the end zone – that didn’t make any sense to me. When he was sacked, and Keisel recovered the fumble – I really didn’t think they were going to count the play. That’s not what the Cardinals drew-up, was it? The confirmation of a fumble and a recovery by us happened so quickly that once Ben took a knee and the game was over, I had this quizzical look on my face; “did we just win the Super Bowl?”

Since that fumble, it has sunk in more and more. I’ve been on the phone a bit with family and friends and It’s an unbelievable feeling of pride and accomplishment when you care about something so much. I have a “Complain-free” theory that I use when my teams win a championship. I am not allowed to moan about my team for five years post-title and an additional 4-year extension for every title during those five years (as well as no complaining about ANYTHING until the next championship contest for that sport.)

I’m good until 2015.

Hope you enjoyed it.