My last column, which ran years ago in 2005, was the Waterworld of columns for me. Translation: not good. It was poorly written, had no central point and I rambled on about irrelevant things.
But lucky for me, no one remembers 2005. But I still needed to get to the root of my problem. So, after exams and hectic travel, I arrived home with time to contemplate what really drove me to write such a silly column. And I believe it came down to this: I was tired of sports. The fun was gone, and my sports soul was exhausted. And so, over break, I made it my mission to get back to finding the joy in sports,to get back to believing in something that's more than myself -- back to letting go.
And you know what? I had an awesome, sports-filled break. I discovered Virginia basketball again, I met interesting, egoless coaches, I followed my Carolina Panthers through the dramatic NFL playoffs, and I took in one of the greatest sports cities: Las Vegas. And through it all, I found different reasons why I love sports and how they can have such a dramatic, positive effect on me and other fans.
My first dive back into sports put me in the recently-icy waters of Virginia basketball. I grew up in a Virginia sports household and was raised on the idea that Virginia basketball mattered. But, since my arrival at the University, I found that to hardly be the case. But, I sense a change in the air. I think this Virginia basketball team can make people care again. I attended my first game of the year last Thursday against UNC. Growing up, I frequently went out of my way to hate on UNC basketball, so this rivalry has always seemed a little bit larger to me. And the way this Virginia basketball team slugged out a W made me both proud and excited. I loved that our even-keeled general, Sean Singletary, showed not an ounce of worry when Carolina threw their half-court trap at him. I loved our sparks of offense in the second half, courtesy of J.R. Reynolds and T.J. Bannister. And most of all, I loved the fiery competition from whom I will forever call, "the fiery Lithuanian," Laurynas Mikalauskus. All in all, this team is a true reflection of its coach, Dave Leitao, and I love where things are headed. That, and the hateful text and phone messages I left to all my Carolina friends after the game felt goooood.
The second part of my journey involved meeting refreshingly good people in sports. I worked for the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte over break (formerly the Virginia-dominated Continental Tire Bowl). I hosted a hospitality suite and acted as a general liaison for the coaches of the University of South Florida football team. And not to sound too much like Rick Reilly or Peter King here, but these coaches really impressed me with their openness, kindness and outlook on sports and life. This was the Bulls' first bowl game ever, and the coaches taught me a lot on how to appreciate sports and what egoless sports can be about. It was very refreshing -- good for the soul.
The third leg involved investing heavily in the players and coaches of the Carolina Panthers. Following that team through the end of the regular season and NFL playoffs poked a primal flame within me. Football tends to do this, but it was even truer following this team. They dubbed themselves "road warriors," and they played up the image of Roman gladiators. Throw in the wildly dramatic Don Cheadle NFL playoffs commercials and the sheer intimidation of players like Julius Peppers and Steve Smith, and I was damn-near throwing on a helmet, grabbing a sword, and screaming, "Are you not entertained!?" My girlfriend even bought in, shunning her Northern Virginia roots to buy a Panthers shirt while in Charlotte -
Read More
Bryce Perkins’ story: How Virginia football inspires resilience and growth
By Xander Tilock | 7 hours agoPerkins, the quarterback of the 2019 team that conquered Virginia Tech, has conquered ample adversity.
Behind the scoreboard: Patrick Scharf’s journey with Virginia softball
By Cierra Lyles | 22 hours agoA longtime softball staffer shares his story with The Cavalier Daily.
Virginia closes out the season strong with comeback victory versus Liberty
By Cierra Lyles | YesterdayThe Cavaliers were in need of a win to close out the regular season, and they got the job done.
