[NU Sports] Fitz: The Future is Now

[NEONRye at aol.com]

I think it is really important to understand that this would have been a  
tough year even if these tragic events had not transpired.  The loss  of Basanez 
alone means a big step back for the offense, not to mention the other  
graduated seniors.  I have no doubt that every team we play will stack the  "box" to 
try to stop Tyrell Sutton and dare our new QB (whoever it turns  out to be--a 
big decision right off the bat for Fitz) to pass in the Spread  (which Fitz 
said emphatically he will retain).
 
Our new HC, his staff and their players need our support now more than  ever. 
 I hope that the tone on the "List" will be upbeat and positive,  regardless 
of the outcome of individual games or in-game decisions by Fitz with  which 
members disagree--e.g., going for a "2-point" conversion to win a game,  rather 
than kicking the "Extra Point" and going into Overtime.  I am not  suggesting 
censorship or anything close to it.  Rather, let's give the  squad a 
"honeymoon" in which to mourn, move forward, and coalesce around  Fitz.  It may take 
the entire season--or longer--but if Fitz turns out the  way we all hope and 
expect he will, the payoff may be well worth it.   
 
One last point:  Fitz mentioned reaching out to his "mentors"--one of  whom 
is obviously Coach Barnett.   Notwithstanding all of the bruised  feelings he 
left behind (and I am not taking up his cause here; I thought he did  a great 
job and then left NU horrendously, which disappointed me, like everyone  else 
who ever met him and liked him), isn't it time to now "bury the hatchet"  with 
GB?  Fitz may need to lean on his old Coach in the days to come.   In fact, RW 
was such a confident and assured individual that he invited GB to  observe 
Spring Practice, as was talked about a few months ago.  If he could  welcome GB 
back, shouldn't the entire NU community do likewise?  I know  this will 
provoke controversy among those who will never forgive him, but I hope  that in the 
end, most of my friends on this List will agree with me that it is  time to 
turn the page and remember all the good that he did and the glory that  he 
brought to NU.  Why not?  He recruited Fitz, didn't he?:-)  So  let's thank him for 
that--and for Pasadena and Orlando and the Big Ten  crowns too.
 
 
Paul Levinson