On this Valentine’s Day, I wanted to write a little note to the other love in my life, ‘The U’.
Dear ‘U’, I’ve loved you for a long time.
The first time you caught my eye was back in the Bernie Kosar days, when my grandmother would cheer for you and make me watch your games.
My love for you grew stronger when you started winning championships in football and baseball. Sure there were the days in middle school and high school when I became a bit obsessive, not going a day without wearing at least one article of clothing with your ‘U’ on it.
There were the dozens of hats, t-shirts and even the boxer shorts (all purchased at ‘All Sports’, of course) which I didn’t wash as often as I should have.
There was the first time I got to watch a game in your revered Orange Bowl. It was a blow out against Temple, but to me it was a blissful afternoon.
There was that moment when I got a call that I had been accepted by you early, and knew the one goal I had in life, to be a Cane, would be fulfilled. Sure we got off to a rough start when we finally met. It was a scorching August, and Band Camp (yes they really do exist) was a bitch – but you welcomed me with your open arms and told me that though I didn’t know a soul, or have any clue what the next four years would have in store, I would be okay and you were right.
There were the amazing moments you gave me while you sheltered me on campus. There were the highs and lows you go through in every relationship. A’s in some classes. F’s in others. Lot’s of B’s and C’s and even a few D’s.
There was The Band of The Hour, Tau Beta Sigma, WVUM, and of course Hurricane Athletics to keep me occupied. You gave me great friends, and even a few years of college love, before the dump truck pulled up at my house.
Over the years, I’ve given U all that I have. I’ve been there through the highs of championship seasons, and the lows of tragedies of far too many of your student athletes dying. I give you my all because you gave me the one thing that no one can ever take away from me, my degree. I carry a miniature version of it around in my wallet. I never take it out, but it’s always there to remind me of my love for you, and your love for me back.
It’s on Valentine’s Day that men often times confess how much they take their loves for granted and U, I’m sorry about that. Sometimes I get so frustrated with losses, and want so badly to see you win that I go to bed angry. Someone once said you should never go to bed angry. Let the person who said that deal with Terry Porter’s flag, because I couldn’t. Let that person deal with the loss to LSU or to Virginia. Let that person deal with Warren Morris and all of the other individuals that have found a way to ruin my day.
The bottom line is I appreciate U regardless of all of the pain I have felt on your behalf over the years. The smiles you have brought to my face far outnumber the down moments, making it all worth it.
I’ll take a loss in football or basketball because I can always think back and remember those days when I found myself surrounded by Canes fans as I covered a national championship parade.
I’ll take a loss in baseball when I can think back to my multiple trips to Omaha, as our little program from Coral Gables became a staple at the College World Series.
I’ll take a day when a recruit passes up on us, as I think back to a few of those recruits no one ever heard of that are now dominating in the NFL.
I really should tell you how much I cherish you more often and I promise to do so from this day forward.
Thank U so much for being such a big part of my life so on this Valentine’s Day I say, I Love U!