otium cum dignitate

Some Links of Interest

I rarely do this sort of thing, but some recent links deserve a post. 

First, since I generally regard this blog as an incomplete collection of little artifacts of my life, I might as well direct my readers to an article summing up the emotional season of the Davidson men's basketball team.  I took special interest in this year's team as we opened the season with a win on the road against Missouri and then went undefeated in conference play (16-0).  But when Davidson choked in the semifinals of the conference tourny (I was there and it sucked), what at first seemed an unfortunate ending to a great season was somewhat made up for by two surprising wins in the NIT.  Unfortunately, Davidson's 3-pointers ran out too soon as we fell to Maryland last week.

Secondly, my church in Atlanta has made the news again as we finally found a suitable building to congregate.  The last few years of church have been unpleasantly spent in industrial warehouses but finally, I can say I goto church at, well, a church.  Nice AJC article, check it out.

On Adopting a New Team Allegiance

I knew it would take a special occasion or article to force me back to my blog.  Today's column by David Brooks is one of my favorites in years.  Articles such as this one make the case for the legitimizing power of eloquence when it comes to seemingly trivial topics.  

Brooks's essay explores the inner turmoil of a devout Mets fan (himself) considering the prospect of changing allegiances to his new hometown team, the incipient Washington Nationals.  Almost all sports fans have been faced with such an inevitable dilemma.  Brooks writes:

"In the midst of this spiritual crisis I have begun to ask the fundamental question.  What is the nature of the loyalty that binds us to our teams?"

In a country dominated by a pessimistic and sensationalist media, sports can be an important psychological escape from "reality."  But without a team allegiance that has been tested by years of defeat at the hands of cross-town rivals and subsequently reaffirmed  by moments of glory in the biggest of games, the casual observer might find most sporting events fairly boring.  Switching teams is no small matter.

I have always been of the opinion that legitimate team loyalty can only be had for one's hometown.  As Brooks says:

"For some people, the love of a team is like the love of one's nation.  The team is the embodiment of the place we are from, our community and volk."

But a significant move from one city to another can counfound this overly simple formula for picking allegiances.  The biggest complication is what Brooks refers to as "a psychological connection...a bond forged during a lifelong string of shared emotions."  Even though I haven't lived in New Jersey for about 10 years now, my intense devotion to the Giants has only been strenghtened by consistent attention to the team over the past few years.

I've contemplated switching team allegiances next year when I move to where-ever I end up for law school.  But i'm starting to believe that hard-core allegiances tend to develop by accident.  Although I have lived in Atlanta for close to a decade, my interest in the Falcons and Thrashers is coming close to "fan" status while my interest in the Braves and Hawks continues to be that of a casual observer.  I've been to two Falcons games and about fifty Braves games--there seems to be no causal link between attendance and fan-dom. 

While I will probably always have somewhat of a transient team allegiance depending on my hometown, I feel like the "psychological connection" to my Yankees, Giants, Rangers, and Knicks will never truly be broken.  Brooks's language may seem toungue-in-cheek, but I believe he is utterly serious when he speaks of his sports allegiances as a "string of formative experiences...a core of my identity."  Perhaps, for sports fans, this is somewhat pathetic...but there is no denying its truth. 

Another Day in Paradise

I think tonight officially marks the end of spring break 2k5.  It was certainly quite a week, replete with much drinking and overall craziness.  Our group of four (me, Roland, Travis, and Dave) set out last Friday on a tour that would take us through five cities in six days.  We went from Davidson to Atlanta, to Cocoa Beach, to Savannah, back to Atlanta, to Chattanooga, and then finally back to Davidson.

While Atlanta provided for some relaxation as well as some fun while drinking giant Belgian beers with high alcohol content, Cocoa Beach was our true spring break destination.  Surely, it was far from optimal, but the college spring break ideal was at least temporarily realized as we made sure to drink heavily and consistently on the beach every afternoon.  Although the Holiday Inn was somewhat of a resort, the earliness of our break made for a rather desolate scene as far as crazy spring breakers go. 

Luckily, we knew a group of Davidson girls who were staying at the Hilton next door.  Naturally, social awkwardness and drama first occurred between our group and them, but in the end we sort of learned how to hang out together. 

Unfortunately, things would get rather less exciting when Thursday came and it was time for us to begin our trek back north.  We stopped in Savannah, eager for a good meal and pleasant scenery, both of which were found.  But we were too pooped to continue the partying of previous days.  On Friday, it was time to make the drive up to Chattanooga to watch our own Davidson NCAA men's basketball team whoop up in the Southern Conference Tournament.  But alas, as Roland put it, a "nightmare" scenario ensued as our precious Wildcats floundered and broke their 17-game winning streak with a loss to UNC-Greensboro in the semifinals. 

With our hopes dashed and spring break nearing its end, Travis, Dave, and I decided to just get the hell out of Chattanooga and head back to Davidson at once.  We arrived home around 2 am Friday night having traveled from Savannah, through Atlanta, to Chattanooga, and back to Davidson all in one day. 

As may seem clear, I have mixed feelings about the week in general.  This spring break included certain moments of perfect contentedness on the beach as well as severe depression and sadness as the buzzer tolled on Davidson's 2004-2005 basketball season.   One thing, though, is certain.  The end of this break marks an important first stage in my realization that my life as a college student is indeed coming to a close.