March Sadness

In the midst of all the Hoopla and pomp and circumstance surrounding this year's NCAA basketball tournament, there is a little ray of sadness. Last night I was informed that my uncle's cancer had spread and that he probably won't survive the weekend.

Uncle Keith has been a basketball fan since before I was born. For more than forty years, he and my Dad kept stats for the University of San Francisco. My lasting memory of my Uncle is visiting his home and seeing stats and scorecards littering every available nook and cranny of his home. He kept stats for USF and for fun, he kept stats of everyone else as well. In the day before the internet, my Uncle was a font of statistical information about any team and any player.

I'd like to say that my love of basketball comes from him, but it doesn't. It wasn't until I was in college and met my roommate, Russ, who had played for the University of Idaho and who even now coaches high school basketball, that I became a fan of the game. I could never dribble the ball, not even now, and so, I never saw any reason to enjoy a sport where I could not do even the most mundane task. But Russ opened my eyes to the game, showed me the rules and the strategy and the excitement, and I've been hooked ever since.

In the last seven years, or so, ever since my Uncle was first diagnosed with cancer, I've been helping keep the stats at USF. About halfway through last season, my Uncle finally benched himself as the chemo made it impossible for him to concentrate on the game enough to make the correct calls. I took over for him and continued through the first half of this season. He continued to come to the games even when he wasn't feeling well and he always wanted a copy of the stats when the game was done for his file.

So as the rest of the basketball world sits down today to watch Cinderellas and upsets and underdogs and hoops madness of all types, I will be watching as well and remembering my Uncle and all the ways that he has affected my life.

And as for next year, if my Uncle has his say in Heaven, expect USF to go all the way.