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Message: [QUOTE="UConn82, post: 2952116, member: 6638"] I have hesitated to post about the ugliness from the ND game, mostly because I was so disturbed by it. I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My first sports hero was Sandy Koufax, followed by Roberto Clemente. I have had to give up football (too violent), track and field, which I love (too much cheating with drugs), men's basketball (too boring and ugly), etc. I found the UConn program some 10 years ago, and I love it for the reasons most BYer's do: the beauty of the playing, the relentless demand for excellence, and the wholesomeness of the kids. I admire Geno so much for building something so special, from scratch. To me, UConn (and some other women's bb programs) embody what I love in sports: play really hard, then shake hands when the game is over. Be gracious in victory and in defeat. To me, this is all exemplified by a beautiful moment at the end of the London Olympics. D and Tamika Catchings had their arms around one another, beaming in a shared victory. The interviewer asked (paraphrasing), "What about the UConn-Tennessee thing?" I think it was Tamika who said, smiling, "Oh, that was a long time ago." Then D made Tamika promise to play in the 2016 Olympics, which she did. I find the whole MM thing really distasteful and petty. It is not what I watch sports for. (I mean the not clapping for our beloved Stewie is truly sad. She always acts with such grace.) I thought about this for some time, and decided to focus on the positive: I really, really, really (using Geno's multiple really's) respect Vic S. He was so gracious when we crushed his MS team in 2016. I mean we beat them by 60 (I was there), and we could have beaten them by 100. I mean that had to hurt a real, real lot. If anyone was going to break our streak, I am glad it was Vic. I am sorry he didn't win the tournament the last two years. When we don't play them, I am rooting for Vic. And the rooting is deeper than sports. Every time my mind goes to MM now, I start thinking about Vic. And I smile. He is one of the really, really good guys. [/QUOTE]

Verification: First name of men's bb coach