Hope Hurts More

I know I haven't written in a while but I just couldn't sit down and write this post. But every time I tried to write about something else it just seemed wrong. I wanted to just ignore the loss to Virginia, I want to just let my hopes and dreams die. I want to be able to accept that once again I won't be filling out a bracket that included Maryland.

But then there's the matter of the ACC tournament. In 2004, Maryland looked like it was sitting on the wrong side of the bubble, then they went on a tear and won the ACC tournament. And for that reason alone, I am forced to suffer through another few days of believing in a miracle. In 2004, the emotional and inconsistent leader, Gilchrist stepped up propelled the team to upset Duke's reign as ACC champ. This year, when Vasquez has shown up he has shown bright.

Maryland has already beat NC State, so the first round is not really impossible. And after getting beaten by UVA I'm guessing the team will want to salvage some of its pride. If Maryland can manage not to blow it again, they would move on to face Wake Forest. They were close to beating Wake last game. And while this doesn't bode well for them it is possible they could win. I'm not going to speculate past that round of the bracket. Even thinking about it makes me hopeful and I'm not ready to be that let down again.

After all this turmoil and all the ups and downs of this season, I kind of wish I had left Maryland for dead after the Duke game. I wish I had gotten on with my mourning, walked away and waited for next season. But a real fan can't do that. I'm tied to this team. I have to follow them. I have to watch the games and suffer through this tournament drought. And worst of all, I somehow still have hope.