The Floyd Street Tribune: An essay on hope and the ACC Super League's conclusion

Insider: On Louisville's eternal hoops hope and the belief that Louisville men's basketball can rediscover itself this spring. Plus, the Super League winner!

Thanks so much for sticking with me through a difficult season.

Back when I was in college writing sports columns at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh’s student newspaper, I thought I was some visionary by using quotes to start my opinion pieces, elevating the lowly sports writing world with these lines I found scrolling through Brainy Quotes or Quotations Page. I thought finding a cool quote set me apart, because that’s what 20-year-olds think. The quotes were at least relevant to my column topic, but in retrospect, I can at least acknowledge they were forced.

You don’t need a John Adams quote to read about DeJuan Blair’s defensive rebounding percentage.

The funny thing is, I blew right past the warnings. Our student newspaper adviser, a fascinating bearded man named Harry Kloman, absolutely destroyed me for using the quotes in every single adviser’s review of my columns. It was always constructive and encouraging — but it was always destructive, too. I mean he flamed my writing, and he really, truly did not enjoy the quotes I started my columns with.

Harry recently retired, a man who significantly impacted the lives of many young journalists. He made me better as a writer and editor, as he did so many others. So naturally I can only assume he’d be disappointed that I want to start this week’s Louisville men’s basketball newsletter with a quote.