Come on, Pitt!

Less than 48 hours ago, the sports punditocracy was talking about how my beloved Pitt Panthers were just three points shy of being named the regular-season No. #1. Juuust losing out to North Carolina and that damned Tyler Hansbrough (hey, kid, weren't you supposed to go pro by now?). Now, look at 'em.

West Virginia 74
Pittsburgh 60

I mean, that's not just an upset. That's an ass-whuppin'!

Now, here we go again.

Look, I went to Northwestern. So, even though I hear they're a "bubble team," this year, the only hope I've ever had when it comes to March Madness is my mother's alma mater, the team I grew up loving before I knew how to love, the Pitt Panthers.

Every year I try not to hope. They go and win the Big East tournament, and I think maybe ... just maybe. But they ultimately choke. Ev-e-ry year! And, as my boy, Mo, just emailed me. They didn't even wait until the big tournament this year. They pre-ordered their mudhole-stomp and got it delivered in New York tonight.

Why? Oh, why?! Jesus?! Why have you forsaken us?!

Remember back in '88? Remember how you promised us such a great tournament? We had Charles Smith, remember? And backboard-shattering Jerome Lane. There was Demetreus Gore and Sean Miller. Oh, they were brilliant. They were supposed to go on and do great things. And they did ...

They succumbed to one of the greatest upset victories in NCAA tourney history, losing to Vanderbilt--Vanderbilt--in overtime in the second round.

Oh yeah, and remember all those freshmen that year? Sean Miller, Jason Matthews, Darrelle Porter, Brian Shorter, and Bobby Martin. They were touted as the best draft class we'd seen in decades. Apparently, Fox Sports News still considers them in the Top 25 draft classes of all-time. They were supposed to go onto great things. Did they?

Well, if they had, would I be writing this damned post?

Of course, they didn't.

They never do.

Ever since they joined the Big East, I've heard nothing but hype about my Pitt Panthers. And now I'm gonna listen to Chuck. I won't believe it.

Paul Evans was supposed to be such a great coach back in the '80s. He'd coached David Robinson. He was going to be a natural for Smith. Wrong!

Ben Howland was supposed to lead us to the Promised Land. Yeah, he did great things, right? He won National Coach of the Year in '02, got us three appearances in the Big East championship game, winning once; there were regular season Big East championships, and two Sweet 16 appearances.

And then he was like, "Peace, see ya later! I'm going to UCLA. I hear they got fake boobies out there!!!" And damnit if he didn't almost win a championship for those bastard Bruins in '06.

And here we are now. The team is definitely one of the best. They'll be a No. 1 seed this year. No doubt. That center, DeJuan Blair, is first-team All-American and co?-Big East Player of the Year. And Sam Young is a third-team All-American. I wanna believe. I wanna root and cheer and lose my fucking mind like I did during my Steelers Super Bowl run. Believe me I do.

It's just ... it's just that ... I've been hurt before. Time and time again. I just want them to win sooooo much. It hurts sometimes. It's like being underwater, drowning, your life flashing before your eyes, and you know it's over. And then a hand reaches down for you, you can see it through the water, and you reach and reach and reach. And then, through the murky depths, you hear, "Syke!"

And the hand is gone.

Just ... gone.

I don't want to go through that again. My heart couldn't stand it. You hear me, Panthers?! Never again!!!