Spring Break
It's been a good year for UConn
Kevin Meacham
Issue date: 4/17/09 Section: Sports
As I drove back from Bradley airport the evening after the women won their national championship, I noticed the sign. Right on the I-84 off-ramp at Exit 68, it says:
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
2009 NCAA
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
In a split second, my mind processed three thoughts: 1) "Man, the Dept. of Transportation got that sign made up quick;" 2) "Man, that's the first time I've ever seen that sign change;" and 3) "Man, I say the word 'man' a lot."
Since I made my first visit to Storrs as a high school senior in April 2005, the sign off of I-84 has always paid homage to the 2004 men's and women's basketball championships.
Normally, change is scary. In this case, the lack of change was downright frightening. Yes, for four years, UConn went without a national title in any varsity team sport, the longest such drought since 1994.
Some great teams and players have played here over the last four years. But it's fair, I think, to call this a "down" period for UConn athletics. No national titles, and those great underachieved and teams came up short, at least until April 7 in St. Louis.
About a year ago, I made the bold-slash-homertastic prediction that UConn could win four national championships - men's and women's basketball, men's soccer and field hockey - with strong showings in football, women's soccer, baseball, women's hockey and softball. In short, I called-slash-prayed for the greatest athletic year ever.
And it would have been, too, except for those meddling kids. And by "meddling kids," I mean injury, inexperience and dumb luck.
Of course, when everything needs to go right for UConn to win even one NCAA title, maybe predicting four was a stretch. Clearly, my predictions didn't work out. So, what have we learned in the last eight months, class? First off, never expect anything good to happen, ever.
Second, learn to count your blessings. Sure, not everything ended well this year - like in 2006 for the men's basketball team, 2007 for the men's soccer team, or 2008 for the women's basketball team. But just about every team went as far as they could be expected, and they provided some pretty special moments along the way.
UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT
2009 NCAA
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
In a split second, my mind processed three thoughts: 1) "Man, the Dept. of Transportation got that sign made up quick;" 2) "Man, that's the first time I've ever seen that sign change;" and 3) "Man, I say the word 'man' a lot."
Since I made my first visit to Storrs as a high school senior in April 2005, the sign off of I-84 has always paid homage to the 2004 men's and women's basketball championships.
Normally, change is scary. In this case, the lack of change was downright frightening. Yes, for four years, UConn went without a national title in any varsity team sport, the longest such drought since 1994.
Some great teams and players have played here over the last four years. But it's fair, I think, to call this a "down" period for UConn athletics. No national titles, and those great underachieved and teams came up short, at least until April 7 in St. Louis.
About a year ago, I made the bold-slash-homertastic prediction that UConn could win four national championships - men's and women's basketball, men's soccer and field hockey - with strong showings in football, women's soccer, baseball, women's hockey and softball. In short, I called-slash-prayed for the greatest athletic year ever.
And it would have been, too, except for those meddling kids. And by "meddling kids," I mean injury, inexperience and dumb luck.
Of course, when everything needs to go right for UConn to win even one NCAA title, maybe predicting four was a stretch. Clearly, my predictions didn't work out. So, what have we learned in the last eight months, class? First off, never expect anything good to happen, ever.
Second, learn to count your blessings. Sure, not everything ended well this year - like in 2006 for the men's basketball team, 2007 for the men's soccer team, or 2008 for the women's basketball team. But just about every team went as far as they could be expected, and they provided some pretty special moments along the way.
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