On Sidney Lowe

"This is my school. I love this school. It was my hope and dream to come back here and do something special... it hurts me because I know what it's about down here and I know what it's like to win here."

-Sidney Lowe

It started with so much promise.

Lowe stepped into a terrible situation when no one else would. Herb Sendek left and headed to Arizona State, and in turn, we lost almost all our recruits and any continuity the program had accrued over the previous 10 years.

Lowe's first team was basically seven guys deep. They fought and clawed all throughout the season -- a season in which we didn't expect much because of how much we lost from the year before. But we beat UNC. We stormed into the ACC tournament finals and nearly won.

We made the NIT as a No. 6 seed, and through a freak sequence of events -- like the No. 7 seed Marist winning its first-round game and a previously scheduled event at the RBC Center -- Reynolds Coliseum hosted its first truly meaningful game in YEARS.

For those of you unfamiliar with Reynolds Coliseum, I'll say this. Cameron Indoor Stadium and the Cameron Crazies are WEAKSAUCE compared to Reynolds and the Reynolds Rowdies in their heyday. The Crazies wouldn't even exist if not for the Rowdies.

But I digress.

The NIT game at Reynolds -- both the game itself and the week-long lead-up to it -- was incredibly memorable. Demand for tickets was through the roof because the game was going to be at Reynolds. It wasn't exactly a "campout," but I got in line at 6 a.m. to make sure I got tickets and waited until the early afternoon. It was so much fun, the whole atmosphere of the mini-campout, walking up to Reynolds, the game itself.

It was truly special, not because of the game itself (let's face it: it was only an NIT game against Marist), but because it showed how unbelievable our games could be when the fan base is dialed in, involved and, most of all, hopeful that things could be heading in a positive direction.

I remember seeing a hand-made sign while I was in line for tickets to the game. Someone set up a sign that said "Loweville" outside the Reyonds ticket office. And I remember Tanner saying the picture would be a classic one day when the area was actually called Loweville.

It was an honest assessment of how hopeful we all were. We had one of us coaching the team. Lowe is Red and White to the core. He led the 1983 Cardiac Pack national champions. Surely if anyone could lead the program back to where we all wanted it to go, it would be Lowe.

Sadly, it did not turn out that way. This season, we easily had the most talented team we've had in years.

For many reasons -- some coaching miscues, some inexperience and immaturity, some injuries and illness -- we lost time and again to less talented teams. Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of games where we were just outplayed and lost to better teams. It happens.

But too often, we clearly were the more talented team, and we took ourselves out of the game with poor defense, poor shot selection and sloppy play. It plagued us early in the season, and it was there in what will likely be Lowe's last game at State.

So, what's the point of this? Mostly to express my sincere sadness that it's come to this. Sid is one of us. He is family. We all wanted it to work so, so badly. Nothing would have been sweeter than having Sid coach us to the same promised land he led us to as a player. His quote above shows everything you need to know about why we loved him. He's one of us.

For that reason, I am relieved and happy to hear of reports that Debbie Yow won't fire him, but that he'll resign instead. Lowe deserves a dignified, respectful exit, and he will surely have the well-wishes of every State fan.

Thanks for the great memories, Sid. Thanks for your hard work. Sorry it didn't work out. You'll always be Pack family. Best of luck to you.

Haikus

So I was talking to Rachel last night, and, long story short, I wrote a bunch of terrible, cheesy haikus. Might as well post them here, no?

I like to sing songs
I'm probably not that good
Better in my head

Fraggles are the best
The doozers are really strange
Gorgs are frightening

Spinach tastes so good
Leafy, green wonder veggie
Popeye was correct

This one is for Rachel, who, amazingly, has never had a hot dog
Hot dogs for the win
Stunned you have never had one
Need two to feel full

These next two are dedicated to N.C. State
State fans are depressed
Unending kick in the pants
There's always next year

My team sucks so much
It's no fun watching the games
Tired of losing

This one is for my sister, who went to San Diego last weekend
Stacy was so drunk
Rode a mechanical bull
Kicked out of the bar

Stacy likes hockey
Micol took her to some games
A sports fan, who knew?

Scarlet's tumbling
Why stand on a small table?
A big girl goes down

Funny haikus win
Too bad I'm not that funny
Someone tries too hard

Being an N.C. State fan is like being kicked in the nuts

Over and over and over again.

Beat Duke by 14 points, look like we're resembling an actual Division 1 team. Forget to show up to the Maryland game, get blown out by 24 points. Also, let me tell you how much fun that was to watch while being surrounded by a family of Maryland fans. I just had to go into sportswriter mode and pretend like I didn't care and that it wasn't happening.

And then UNC. I'm sorry. I just couldn't bring myself to talk about it until now. We looked decent in very short, very intense bursts. Then, of course, we couldn't finish a game without one of our patented 8-minute scoring droughts that turned a 5-point lead into a 15-point deficit.

I'm just getting angry. I leave you with happy N.C. State videos.

A little boy who loves the Pack like his daddy, despite having a Tar Heel mom.



Post-game, 2007 victory over UNC; 31-27



Most Incredible Block Ever -- Courtney Fells vs. Duke



Julius Hodge beats UConn, sends State to Sweet 16

Big Game

State/UNC tonight at 9 p.m.

If you don't preface your attempts at communicating with me with some form of "UNC sucks," "Carolina sucks" or "Go to hell Carolina," you should probably reconsider your attempts at communicating with me.

If the team that played in the Duke game and the second half of the Clemson game shows up, I really like our chances -- especially at home, especially against a young, struggling Tar Heels team.

If the team that decided not to try very hard against Maryland shows up, I predict I will be watching a movie by 9:30 p.m.

I really, really hate those smug bastards. (No offense to any of my friends who went there. You guys are cool. But admit it, even you know what I'm talking about here.)

Everything's Gonna Be All Right

Well, it would appear I've stumbled unwillingly upon quite a bit of spare time. No sense in keeping it a secret. The more people who know about it, the more chances of someone coming through in the clutch for me.

So today -- yes, on April Fools Day -- I was laid off from my job. Got called in to the boss's office and heard the whole "you know about how hard we've been hit with our budgets lately, and we've got to make a few cuts, and I'm sorry to say you're one of the people we have to let go."

And there it is.

Obviously, this is not my first choice for how the next several weeks/months would go. I've got a few ways I can look at things.

1. I can lay in my bed, cry and lament over my poor fortune, thereby making myself miserable and just giving myself a bad headache. Sound like fun to you? Me neither.

OR

2. I can have a few drinks, relax for the next day or two and jump in with both feet with a good attitude.

So I say this: shit's going to be the exact same if I'm feeling sorry for myself in bed or if I'm smiling with a drink in my hand.

I choose having a good attitude. And you know, yes, I've been better; but I've also been worse. No one died. I don't have children in college. I don't have a mortgage. I'm not in my mid-50s trying for a career change.

I'm 26 years old. I have a bachelor's degree in political science, a minor in journalism and a master's degree in communication. I've got a couple years experience writing for newspapers, and I've got a year and a quarter of PR agency work.

Like I said, this is obviously not my first choice for a course of events. But dammit, being hopeful and optimistic is not a vice. Let there be no doubt, I have my faults. But I don't consider a positive attitude to be among them.

Listen, this sucks hardcore -- no doubt about it. But I can either whine and bitch about it, or I can see it as an opportunity to do something different. I've been let go from a job I was contemplating leaving in the next year anyway, and I can try something different now. The job market sucks, I get that. I'll be calling in favors with everyone I know to try to get something. We'll see what happens.

I know this: I'd rather be facing this situation with an upbeat attitude than with depression. In the meantime, I'll file for unemployment tomorrow, figure out a part-time solution to make ends meet, and we'll see how it goes.

In the words of the immortal Bob Marley, "Everything's gonna be all right."

-BG