Terps Sports

For whomever cares to listen..... (sorry it's so long...)

Even though I've been on these boards for nearly 10 years, I don't really post that often anymore. Always hanging around though

Not only did I go to Maryland, but I have been a life long, die hard Terp since I was old enough to know.

Our current/recent situation really makes me sad. Really sad.

I have had the fortune of growing up in the 70's and watching Lefty's great Maryland teams. I remember, as a kid, sitting up each night when the Terps were playing, and listening to the game on the radio (my parents didn't take me to a lot of games) while keeping the box score on a piece of paper. I remember throwing my pencil and having it stick in the wall when John Lucas turned it over with less than a minute left when we had a chance to beat UCLA. And I still never got over being left out of the Tourney after losing to NC St. in OT in the ACC Finals, even though we were one to the 3 best teams in the entire damn country.

I remember walking through the Student Union when I was at UM, and seeing Albert King, sitting on his stool and holding court, pretty much every day.

There was nothing better than watching Lefty take the court to the tune of "Hail to the Chief" while he held up the "V" sign with his fingers. And then the familiar singing "Amen" when we had knocked off the latest victim.

I lived through the post-Lenny nightmare and the even bigger nightmare that was Bob Wade.

Then came Gary. An alum who had a major fire in his belly to re-create the greatness that was Maryland basketball, and take us back to the top. You could see it in his intensity and his work ethic. He had one goal in mind, and only one goal -- A National Championship.

We were a perennial Tournament team. We never could seem to get to the pinnacle but being in the tournament was basically our birthright. We finally got the the Final Four...only to have the officials completely rip us off and hand the NC to Dook that year.

I told my wife I would take out a second mortgage to get tickets to the Final Four in Atlanta if necessary. Didn't have to go that far, but I got tickets, and I cannot tell you how incredible it was that night at the Georgia Dome, when, after 30 years of living and dying with the Terps, we finally won it all. My wife still laughs because all I could so is stand there, watching the post-game celebration from our seats and uttering, "Oh my god!! We just won the National Championship. We just won the *&%$#$% National Championship!!!"

The next season, I went to see the Terps play here at Clemson. It was an easy win. I waited outside of the locker room after the game. I had my Final Four program with me and I asked Gary to sign it, which he did. I'll never forget telling Gary, "Thank you Coach. I waited 30 years for this." HE looked right at me and just said, "Me too..."

Looking back, I guess that was it. He got what the one thing we both had always wanted. But unlike me, it seems that, for Gary, that was enough.

After all the blood, sweat and tears I have invested in this program, it breaks my heart and frustrates the hell out of me that we are now a basketball tradition rich school who has become an "also ran." We NEVER used to worry about the Boston College's and VT's of the world. I used to go to Clemson every year and enjoyed watching the Terps handily take care of the Tigers. Now they beat us as often as we beat them. We are now no more than a mid-tier team in a weakened ACC.

Gary has lost the edge. The game, particularly the recruiting game, seems to have passed him by. He can still coach on game day, but he just can't get the talent to play for him. As has been said in other posts, Gary either needs to figure out how to regain the fire he had when he came to College Park, or, if he truly loves his alma mater as we all think (and hope) he does, then step aside and let someone who does have that fire take over. Only Gary can make the decision.

THIS IS MARYLAND, DAMN IT!! We have a great basketball tradition, we have a great and loyal fan base, we have one of the best facilities in the country, we are right in the middle of a basketball talent hot bed, and we are in one of the top media markets in the country. Any coach that could come in and return this program to it's place will be the topic of every sports media talking head in the business. There is no reason why we cannot attract one of the top names in the game to come to College Park.

I'm not unrealistic. I'm not saying we should be in the FInal Four every year or two. We didn't do that before. But we were ALWAYS a team whose name was always mentioned among the best in the country.

I don't blame the players. They do the best they can every night. But I've endured the good, the bad and the ugly over the last 40+ years, and until something changes, I will continue to have a hard time stomaching what we have become.

Okay, sorry...... I'm done. Just had to get it off my chest.

Fire away.