Among a pair of e-mails asking me if I was interested in free Cialis, I received a message in my inbox from Devin Smith Tuesday afternoon. He wants me to come out and root for Virginia against Virginia Tech at tomorrow's basketball game. Yeah, right. Message deleted.
As if I don't already get enough junk e-mail, now I have to sift through mass mailings from members of the Virginia basketball team? I preferred it when the players were aloof from their student fan base and didn't care enough to try to reach out to students. That's the way it should be.
Apparently, Devin thinks he has the right to tell me how to spend my Saturday afternoon. Why should I listen to him? It's not like he's done anything for me lately.
Okay, so he did play through the entire last season with a herniated disc in his back. While most people would find it a chore just to walk in such a condition, Smith found a way to get on the court for every game and average 12.2 points for the Cavaliers. Maybe he was a pivotal factor in Virginia's late-season run, scoring huge buckets down the stretch, including a game-winner against Wake Forest. But that was last season, that stuff is ancient history. What has Devin Smith done for me lately?
It turns out he does lead the team in scoring, averaging 17 points per game. And he did hit the game-winning three-pointer Wednesday night against Florida State to cap an impressive second-half comeback. But that doesn't matter either. The important thing to remember now is that there is no hope left for the season. Smith made the mistake of guaranteeing that the Cavaliers would win against the Hokies at the end of his e-mail, saying "Come early, cheer loud and my teammates will take care of the rest." How naive.
Some may argue that Virginia has won two games in a row and has climbed out of last place in the ACC. And the Cavaliers do have plenty of winnable games left on their schedule, including home contests against N.C. State and Maryland, and a road matchup against Florida State.
But why should I waste my time getting behind this team? After all, head coach Pete Gillen is still here. He should've been fired right after the Cavaliers choked in the NCAA tournament against Gonzaga in 2001. If our coach can't get the job done, there's no reason I should invest my time as a fan.
It is true, however, that Gillen did find a way to motivate the perpetually uninspired Elton Brown by benching him against N.C. State. After just four minutes of play against the Wolfpack, Brown shot 6-for-7 in 28 minutes of play against Florida State on Wednesday, leading the team with 13 points. Gillen also somehow got his team to play solid defense, as the Cavaliers have held their last two opponents to a combined 117 points just days after giving up 110 points in a single game against North Carolina.
But coaching is not about recognizing the problems of your team and finding ways to solve them -- Or maybe it is. I don't know. Either way, I have more important things to do tomorrow at noon than show up for a basketball game. Who cares if an empty U-Hall allows Virginia Tech to embarrass us yet again after winning in football and men's basketball in Blacksburg just a couple of weeks ago? I certainly don't.
Nice try, Devin. You can send out all the e-mails you want, but this Virginia student has prematurely given up on your team only halfway through the conference season. And I know I'm not alone.
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