I think the answer is like this:
Elan, I was very disappointed to read your thoughts about the football program. It is invariably true that our basketball programs have achieved a level of success that our football program has not achieved and, in fact, is unlikely to ever achieve. But as you grow up, my wish for you is that you learn that life is not only about celebrating achievements at the things that you are lucky enough to always have go well. Life is also about perserverence, and patience, and the satisfaction one gets by taking small but satisfying steps forward in life. The fact that you will never have the looks of Brad Pitt doesn't mean you shouldn't be proud when, working out, you achieve a better level of fitness than you had. The fact that you will never be a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter doesn't mean that you won't have accomplished something when your writing improves. And the fact that you are unlikely to ever be on Oprah with the world celebrating your role eventually as a husband and father doesn't diminish the satisfaction you will feel when you know that you have strived every day to be a slightly better husband and father.
You see, those of us who have followed UConn football have been able to enjoy the emotional engagement that comes from not always having your way in life, but wanting to always make things better. We had the joy that saw us go from the Yankee Conferenence to a football school that could compete on equal terms with the Syracuse's, BCs and Pitts of the world. We shared the joy of a program that suffered three straight gut wrenching defeats trying to honor the life and death of a fallen comrade, and then in the most unlikely of scenarios finally getting that gift to the comrade in OT at South Bend. We saw an improbable run from a frustrating 3-4 start to the 2010 season to the Fiesta Bowl. And we had to learn to deal with the sadness, frustration and hurt of watching the program take massive steps backward while the conference world was disintegrating around us.
I can tell you as a lifelong Yankees fan, born in the Bronx, that there is much to admire about Red Sox fans my age (57) and older. They didn't get to sit there and say "this sucks because we're not winning championships -- I'll just care about the Celtics." They had to learn to deal with their frustration, and take small joys from small victories, hope for a better future, and ultimately got to their pinnacle of success in a way that was much more meaningful to them than the repeated championships I got to watch my Yankees have. I find it sad that, as of this point in your life, you aren't willing to show the patience and perserverence that is necessary for human beings to make the most of their life, and that you can only focus on those things more likely to bring you satisfaction today. I hope for you, your family and those who will work with you that you grow out of it.
Have a good day.
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