Jan. 3, 2002

It is funny how after you lose a game there are a lot of people who suddenly want to give you advice. You should shoot more, you should pass more, you should have more arc on your shot, you should get a haircut, you should go see Lord of the Rings, etc. There are a couple of reasons why people do this. Number one, I think it is to help out. People want to point out things that they see that could make you better and hopefully more successful. That is great. But there is another reason why people are anxious to share advice. I think there is this innate desire that humans have to pass on our knowledge of sports to others who may not see the light.

I know when I watch my Kansas City Chiefs play I often criticize the play calling and wonder why they do this and don't do that. I never remind myself that the coaches and players spend days on end at practice and in the off-season working on complicated things that will work in a game. I've watched pro football since I was a kid but I know nothing about the basics of the game. Come Sunday afternoon though, you'll hear me suggest many times that Dick Vermeil should let me take over, even if it is just for one week, and I'll show him how it's done.

The reason I brought this up is because I was stopped a couple of times this morning down in Kirby Sports Center by people who had insight into the game against Rider from the night before. One man whom I had never met before in my life called me over to talk to him and he started naming all the things the team did wrong. I thanked him for his suggestions and I told him I'd go back to Coach O with what he told me. Then, not five minutes later, I ran into an old professor of mine, Tom Norton. A great shooter in his day at the Hill School, Professor Norton told me that my shot looked a little flat.

I took this advice seriously because I had heard that no one had a corner jump shot quite like Professor Norton. I thanked him and told him I will be working on getting the ball up in the air a little more. The thing I like about sports is that they appear to be simple, when in fact they may be the most complicated things I have ever involved myself with. Just when you think you've gotten it down right (against Howard), you are quickly reminded that you aren't even close (see Rider). It's fun.

The team is ready for the Patriot League to start. We have a week of practice now to get ready for it. Being 6-6 at this point isn't the worst thing in the world. The non-league schedule showed us some good things and bad things about our team. It showed that we can shoot as well as anybody sometimes, but we can also get killed on the boards. Every team takes away positives and negatives from every game. We know where we need to get better and are going to keep trying to do that until we get to March. It doesn't start off easy for us either as we travel to Bucknell for the opener. They are a much-improved team and were picked ahead of us in the preseason polls. They also have one of the best home court advantages around. It is still one of the toughest places to play and will really be a test for us.

I actually did take that person's advice and see Lord of the Rings. I guess you have to be into that kind of stuff to get a rise out of it -- like read the books, etc. It was a neat movie to look at- all the computer-generated scenery and whatnot, but it was too unrealistic for my taste. I understand it is a fantasy, but I got tired of seeing one good guy take on a hundred bad guys at a time and come away without a scratch. Just didn't do it for me, but I'm no critic. I also saw Trial and Error with Michael Richards (Kramer from Seinfeld). If you are in the mood for a dumb comedy, do yourself a favor and rent it. I gave it two thumbs up.

Rob's (Worthington) dad Chuck and his sister Sara are out here for the week. They are staying with Rob's aunt who lives in Doylestown, Pa. It is fun seeing them. He's got a great family. He looks forward to seeing them because hanging out with the Burkes drives him nuts sometimes. It is good for him to get a break from us.

Finally, I wanted share something that happened after the Howard game. I was leaving the Friends of Lafayette reception and was on my way down the stairs when I heard my niece Sarah, who's four years old, calling my name from down below. She did this a couple of times until finally I could see her standing at the base of the steps. I said, "Yes Sarah?" And she said, "Uncle Brian, you're my godfather." She didn't know how many threes I had made that game. She was just glad that I was her uncle. It made me feel good.