The intriguing choices in the Virginia sports world this week reminded me of the dishes that fill a home-cooked Thanksgiving dinner. There are abundant choices to fill everyone's taste buds; you just need to choose the right ones.
To start the meal, we will begin with the time-honored side dish of carrots. Carrots, much like this heart warming story, are needed for every Thanksgiving meal. Prior to kickoff of the Virginia-Virginia Tech football game, the Fiji fraternity raised over $30,000 for the Jimmy V Foundation through a run across Virginia.
What sports fan does not still have a memory of Jimmy Valvano's classic line, "Don't give up, don't ever give up." The Jimmy V foundation continues to change lives in a major way and the Fiji's deserve some recognition for playing a small part in continuing that tradition.
Next on our holiday buffet is the frequently overlooked dish of corn. Steady and consistent, the corn of this Thanksgiving meal is the men's and women's Virginia soccer teams. Both teams finished a promising year with tough losses in the middle rounds of the NCAA tournament. Often overlooked at the University, both teams held high national rankings for most of the season before falling victim to overpowering opponents.
No Thanksgiving meal is complete without the underrated sweet potatoes. The Virginia women's club soccer team gets the nod as the feisty sweet potatoes of this meal. Much like how sweet potatoes often take a back seat to turkey, club athletes seldom get the spotlight of the Division I athletes. This Thanksgiving break, the Virginia women's club soccer team overcame injuries and tough competition to capture the club soccer national championship. Hopefully the team and the daunted sweet potatoes will start to get the accolades they deserve.
Next on our Thanksgiving sports plate is the Virginia football team, acting as the turkey of the meal. The turkey is often the most anticipated part of any Thanksgiving meal. In the same light, the Virginia football team entered the season with aspirations of contending for an ACC title. A huge upset to Florida State left a sweet taste to the many Wahoo faithful.
Unfortunately, the turkey often leads to a long post-meal nap as the tryptophan takes effect. The 2005 Virginia football team also faded away losing three of its final five games, including a 52-14 drudging at the hands of rival Virginia Tech. A double reverse throw by Emmanuel Byers was the only play that awoke some fans this past Saturday from their post-meal slumber.
While Al Groh's tenure started with the dazzle of a fresh Thanksgiving turkey, many will wonder this offseason if the post-meal siesta has set in on the Wahoos. At the collegiate level, momentum is paramount in maintaining a top-tier program. Once a team begins to show signs of a downhill spiral, recruiting the best talent becomes an uphill battle. After a few seasons of optimism, many will question if this team will rebound from another disappointing season.
As the Thanksgiving meal concludes, the dessert gives hope after a long nap on the couch. This Thanksgiving, the pumpkin pie lands squarely in the hands of Virginia's passionate basketball coach, Dave Leiteo.
Virginia fans will be pleased to know that after a drowsy Virginia football season, the new coach could go toe-to-toe with Bobby Knight in a theatrical competition. It is clear Leitao will not tolerate laziness or poor defense, which had often crept onto the floor of U-Hall in past years.
After many seasons of listening to Pete Gillen fill the post-game news conference with explanations of "they played, real hard," Leiteo brings a stark contrast to the Virginia courts. After the last loss to the No. 9 ranked Arizona Wildcats, Virginia guard Sean Singletary said, "Coach and the team, we're not into moral victories."
While the end of the fall brought the drowsiness of a post Thanksgiving meal, the optimism surrounding the basketball program should prove to be the necessary ingredient to lead to recovery this winter.
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