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Message: [QUOTE="Hans Sprungfeld, post: 4888895, member: 181"] Sarcasm is a false balm, often insulating us from feeling uncomfortable emotions. It may provide a quick lift, like eating a bag of bulk candy does. But it's non-nutritive. And like sugar and most other ingested white substances, it demands nearly endless repetition. If you are hurt or angry or frustrated or skeptical in the face of someone's perceived absurdity, then I suggest that you say so, rather than perpetuating the absurdity. Otherwise, you are adding animating fuel to flames of pessimism, as though clarity of message or unity of purpose are either not possible or worth pursuing. A survey of thread topics both before and after the Marquette game would suggest a susceptibility to distraction, a propensity for bickering, and an interest in generating speculative conversation on things we don't want (and in life's reality more often don't than do come to pass). I'm hopeful (and largely confident) that the coaches and players don't put their attentions on such matters. I don't generally favor fans doing so. I don't have much influence, but I will sometimes seize an opening to awaken expression in others that matches people's true attitudes. By extreme example, I'd disfavor myself saying, "Oh great, now everything's going to suck, so why even bother to write or say anything, why even get out of bed, the world's going to hell in a hand basket and everything stinks," whether it captures my frame of mind or it's meant to make fun of or criticize others whose frame of mind is such. I believe that courting ambiguity that includes unwanted options is counterproductive if I have a clear preference for a certain path or outcome. I'm primarily interested in UConn playing as well as it can, and I'd really like to witness a Big East regular season championship, a Big East Tournament championship, and an NCAA Tournament championship. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach