Slices of Tuna: The climb is everything
What's a championship pursuit feel like? Plus, the MAC commish shoots it straight with the Power 4, and Northwestern has some well-timed fun.
Happy Monday. It’s a big night, and week, for my personal fandom in another sport, so let’s riff a bit on what all of that means, as this week keeps taking me back to a January night in South Florida. (But not the night.)
1. Anything is possible, right?
The climb is everything.
Sitting in a downtown Miami bar surrounded by Indiana fans on the eve of the national title game in January, that much became apparent.
Look at all that crimson invading Hurricanes’ territory. Look at how a surprising championship run had brought together the nation’s largest alumni base in a way that nothing else in this world could.
The game was 24 hours away, but this? This was what it was all about.
The Hoosiers went on to win the next night. Maybe they’ll go on to do it again this coming season. It would still be a thrill for their fans, yes, but nothing could possibly compare to the chase that accompanied that first time. (Or the ticket prices, for that matter.)
I’m a diehard Knicks fan. I’ve never really hid that. I just haven’t had much reason to openly brag about it for much of the past two decades.
New York hasn’t lost in 46 days. Now it’s not only favored to win a title — it’s favored to sweep.
This is a ride I could have never imagined. Anyone baring the same scars I have would be lying to you if they told you different.
Other Knicks teams in my lifetime have given me hope, yes. But this is the first time I can say that I expect them to win a championship.
It’s different. It’s new. It’s unfamiliar, but it’s the type of unfamiliar you only get once.
I know better than to look ahead. This isn’t just sports; it’s the damn Knicks we’re talking about here. I’ve seen some stuff.
But right now I’m in the same zone that those Hoosiers fans were in back on Jan. 19, riding the momentum of a charmed run, feeling damn near invincible after a lifetime of getting kicked in the you-know-what.
A moment like this only comes around once.
And I’m going to take full advantage of it … even if I can’t spare an extra 15 grand for a ticket to it.
This is why we watch, we root, we follow. It doesn’t always make sense, and it doesn’t always have to.
How else do you explain the sports year we’ve had so far in 2026?
2. MAC commish unloads on Power 4
Where do you want to start with Jon Steinbrecher’s comments at MAC spring meetings?
