Alma Mater Comes Up Short

When I attended Mount St. Mary's in the mid-60's, the school's signature sport was basketball (Division II) complete with a legendary coach and several players who later became pros and or coaches. As I recall, the Mount was always a force to be reckoned with in Division II play and won one national championship that I remember during those days.

The Mount went Division I several years ago and the legendary coach Phelan retired shortly after. I haven't followed their basketball program with any more than a casual interest over the years - until they emerged in the March Madness line up and earned a bracket spot.

My office in Baltimore and I get razzed all the time about my loyalty to PA teams (PSU and the Eagles) and it was nice to remind some of those folks that my alma mater made it to the big dance . . . yeah . . . that tiny little university . . . scheduled for "the play in game" against a Baltimore-based school that I professed never hear of . . . this was fun!

I watched my first Mount game in decades on my new Sony 46" HD . . . wow . . . although we fell behind in the first game, the Mount (in the form I remembered of old) surged back to win. The next day at work was spent collecting my bets!

I guess is when the bottom seed plays the top seed (N.C.) in the next event, the odds aren't favoring the bottom seed . . . there are of course those occassional miracles . . . but it was not to be last night . . . the Mount coming up short. Still, with great pride, it is a wonderful thing to have "roots" with a school that continues to make its mark with academics and sport programs. I seriously doubt if the Mount will ever expand the campus and enrollment to rival the larger institutions . . . I seriously don't think they need to . . . that charming "little University" seems to be doing pretty well just like it is . . . Hail to the Mighty Mounties!!!