let the Madness begin...

So tonight started it all...

another season with all the glory and all the agony, the joy and the pain, satisfaction and aggravation...

basketball season for the Terps!!!


That's right, tonight was that famed night..."Maryland" Madness!!! So, maybe it didn't start at midnight. As devoted to tradition as I am, I can handle the change. We still got to see Gymkana jump through the Ring of Fiiiiiiiiire. We still got to sing along to Zombie Nation in the dark with a laser light show on the floor. Testudo was still there. We still got to see the ever-popular alumni game, with Darien Henry and Mike Grinnon doing a cameo. There were even fireworks that heated all of Comcast Center. Pretty spectacular.

Two years ago, Gary rode out on a motorcycle. Last year, it was Nascar. During the thrilling women's game, we brainstormed possible Gary Entrances for this year...
on a horse?
bungee jumping through a trap door?
ropeswinging?
base jumping?
in a monster truck that breaks down the walls?
surfing on a wave that floods the court?
hang gliding?
The possibilities were endless!!!

The lights were down, and the smoke was on, and we were ready for each team member to run out as they were announced...and then, they all just moseyed out at a normal pace as if they were walking to class or something. How anti-climactic. Where was the buildup, the emotion? Gary even came with them. No bungee jumping. No monster truck. Just plain old Gary.

But then I flashed back a year in my head...
Nik Caner-Medley comes out and puts his hand to his ear, motioning for everyone to cheer louder for him. DJ Strawberry is on his cell phone, cause he just doesn't even care he's so cool. This year, things are a lot different.

So I think...I like the group entrance. It wasn't about being all-stars or divas. It was about being a team. It's in a way symbolic of the change that has happened since last year. They will not be ball-hogs. They will not be arrogant. They will not think they are more important than each other. They will be Terps, not future NBA players. Gary doesn't need a fancy car. He needs basketball players and fans. And he's got both.

It's always hard to tell what the season is gonna look like from the scrimmage. They're playing against each other, so it's not like anyone's heart is really in it. I will say that Sterling Ledbetter seems like he's advanced a little. Also, there are two new guys. DJ was back on the court, wearing a knee brace. Chris couldn't play due to a sprained ankle, so I hope he's back on his feet soon! Mike Jones was his usual dynamic self, and everyone else looked familiar too.

After freshman year, I was promising everybody that we were going to win the NCAA the next year. And I really did mean it. I had complete faith in our team, despite the inconsistencies. The NIT loss came as a shock to me, so I know I can't make any promises about the outcomes of games this year. I can say this, though...the agony and glory, pain and joy, aggravation and satisfaction will be there. My heart will get dragged all over the court, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. The true fans will be there all season, and the Terps will defy expectations, as usual. With a little bit more perspective and unity gained from last year's experience, the team is looking good.


Who knows, there might even be a little poetry from this end...
Comcast, it's good to be back.