You do this job long enough and you risk becoming numb to the ups and downs of sports, the joy and pain, the fascinating range of human emotions the games produce.
You go to all these cool events near and far for the reader more than yourself, the conduit between public interest and private access, and with that privilege comes a responsibility for sports journalists that creates a detachment between professional duties and personal feelings. You explore angles, tell stories, offer perspective, make deadline and keep a comfortable distance.
Then something like Loyola happens.
I honestly don't know whether to be concerned or encouraged by my reaction after Loyola's 69-57 loss to Michigan on Saturday night at the Alamodome. I felt truly awful watching Loyola teammates Ben Richardson and Clayton Custer, best friends since third grade, consoling each other on their way off the court. I cringed seeing Ramblers guard Marques Townes sobbing. I looked up from my keyboard with empathy as Loyola coach Porter Moser took deep breaths at the podium to collect his composure.
I expected none of this and will remember all of it. It affected me. I didn't necessarily want Michigan to lose as much as part of me wanted Loyola to win, the sports writer part that typically doesn't care who wins or loses as long they do it quickly. I wanted to write the next chapter, Monday night in San Antonio, instead of the epitaph about one of the most entertaining teams I've ever covered. I admit getting caught up in the Loyola story, the exception to the rule, like so many people across Chicago and the entire country did.
The Ramblers played five unforgettable, unexpected NCAA Tournament games in 17 days, reaching the Final Four and capturing America's imagination simply by being themselves. Their authenticity and innocence created a cynicism-free zone around Loyola basketball, as hard as some out-of-touch folks tried to pollute it with silly controversy. The players were like the good kids who grew up in your neighborhood and Moser like that guy next to you on a flight who keeps talking long enough that you want his business card. Loyola's support staff, from sports information director Bill Behrns to Tom Hitcho, Mr. Loyola who pushed Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt's wheelchair, treated everyone with respect and sincerity even as the bandwagon got more crowded.
The national fascination with Loyola, by the way, went beyond Sister Jean, the adorable 98-year-old team chaplain who can pray more privately now. The Ramblers tapped into something else within everyone. They proved not everything about college sports is corrupt and suggested the hyphen in student-athlete actually applies. They played smart and selfless basketball on the court and acted humble and kind off it, appreciating everything they accomplished without taking anything for granted along the way. They set an example and altered perception of a Loyola program that never will be the same. Custer was right: The word "Loyola" has a whole new meaning now.
Now what?
Sustaining success won't be easy, but it's possible. Loyola can be what Butler is, a consistent midmajor program at a prestigious university in a terrific city. Loyola's Final Four run raised its profile enough to think the days of playing in front of only friends and relatives at Gentile Arena are over. Maybe not. Maybe next season will include sparse crowds and scant media coverage, but something tells me Loyola turned a meaningful corner in March.
People will care. Recruits will come. Victories will follow.
My sense is Moser will stay too. Simply based on a hunch and conversations with those directly involved in the program's future, Loyola likely will extend Moser's contract and give him a hefty raise that reflects this magical season. Whether the salary will be enough to keep Moser in Rogers Park long term remains a question for another day, but chances look good for his return next year.
Xavier, one of the programs rumored to be interested in Moser, filled its job Saturday. Other openings could tempt Moser, but here are two factors to consider:
1. Loyola showed patience sticking by its coach through some tough seasons early in Moser's tenure. That loyalty isn't lost on Moser.
2. He has spent most of seven years toiling in obscurity at Loyola, so Moser might relish being the Ramblers coach in his hometown after the program lifted its profile. The intangibles of a family that loves it here and a passion for all things Chicago also mitigate some of the money issues.
The biggest challenge for Loyola involves scheduling, potentially even more than coaching or recruiting. The NCAA Selection Committee clearly sent the message that playing Power Five schools factors into a team's criteria, but nobody will want to play Loyola now. Michigan coach John Beilein kidded after Saturday's victory that he would be open to playing Loyola "if Sister Jean asks me," but that was a gracious winner deflecting a more complex answer. Programs like Loyola from one-bid leagues such as the Missouri Valley Conference need stronger advocates as badly as they do tougher schedules.
Wanted: Power Five foes for Loyola. Loyola-Northwestern at the United Center sounds fun. A Loyola-Notre Dame matchup makes sense. And who in Chicago wouldn't love to see Loyola play Illinois or DePaul?
Loyola loses Donte Ingram, Richardson and the underrated Aundre Jackson. But a strong recruiting class — which still could add a player influenced by this run — will enroll, and a core that just experienced a Final Four will return. I never imagined saying this about Loyola basketball, but I look forward to next season.
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