In a nutshell, I had a blast. From the day I got the call, I was excited to share stories from all the Big East games I’ve attended over the years; the buzzer beater shots, the upsets, the spilled beers and a few tears.

As the oldest member of the competition, I found it amusing to talk to my fellow Big East fans about the days of Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin and Billy the Kid because many of them weren’t even born yet! I, on the other hand, witnessed first-hand the great players of the early 80’s. But the age difference meant little when it came to expressing our collective love and loyalty for great basketball.

My biggest highlight of the competition was going back to Marquette with my 18 year old son. It was a perfect weekend from start to finish; something we will both remember for a long time. The Golden Eagles beat both Pitt and Louisville during the long weekend. We also went to Lambeau Field to watch the Giants dismantle the Packers…all done in style in a 2012 S60.

Admittedly, there were glitches in the system. I’ve shared them with our group leader so that next year’s competition can be even a better experience for the representatives.

Thanks again to Volvo for including me in a fantastic event. I have a newfound appreciation for their cars and I met 15 people that share my love for Big East basketball.

Good luck to everyone in the Big East tournament…and to the fortunate 7-9 teams that get invited to the big dance! May one of us still be playing basketball in April.

Go Marquette!

Brian Moran

In looking back on all the great things that happened, I decided to create a Top 10 list (a la ESPN) from my trip back to Marquette:

10) Volvo Comes Up BIG! – From the plane trip to the car service; hotel to tickets to the game, Volvo’s representatives did an incredible job in giving my son Robert & I a blowout weekend in Milwaukee. Thanks again!!

9) C.P.’s 5 O’Clock Steakhouse – It’s Saturday night, Marquette won that day and we’re going out to celebrate. What better place than a true Wisconsin Supper Club. The food was delicious, the service was first-class and we spent quality time with my college roommates and their families.

8) Brunch at the Wisconsin Club – Thanks to my roommate Joe, we had a memorable brunch at the beautiful downtown Wisconsin Club before the Marquette game. The entire room was filled with Blue & Gold. The President of Marquette was in the house too. Our meal was filled with laughs, fun stories of college and having our kids get to know each other better.

7) Fields Volvo – The people at Fields Volvo in Waukesha couldn’t have been nicer. Chris, our contact person there, totally set us up with a 2012 Volvo S60 and the car made our weekend feel like a first-class trip. I would have driven that car all the way to NJ if they let me. We took advantage of the iPod auxiliary feature and created a special mix of songs just for the trip. I think we also had the sunroof open almost the entire team.

6) The Pfister Hotel – I talked about how special the Pfister Hotel was in a previous blog post. It truly is a one-of-a-kind place. The majestic lobby with its painted ceiling, the wide staircases and the history of the hotel make the Pfister a special place to stay when you are in Milwaukee.

5) Marquette Wins – You have to admire a team that brings 40 minutes of Hell to every single game. Down early, Marquette roared back against a tough Pittsburgh team to win for us on our weekend visit. True to form, they also won that Monday against Louisville after being down 18-2 in the first half. Marquette is having a great season so far and we’re expecting big things from them in March.

4) My Roommates – Joe, Jeff and Bob were three of my roommates at Marquette 20-something years ago. It was a lot of fun to see them again, see their kids and wives, and to have them see my son for the first time in 10 years. It made me wonder why we don’t do it more often. They were also gracious hosts and I am fortunate to count them as my friends today.

3) Spending Time on Marquette Campus – It is a sanctuary in the middle of Milwaukee. I have many wonderful memories of my time at Marquette and it was good to feel the spirit of the school when I returned. Everything from Gesu Church & the Joan of Arc chapel to getting a guided tour of my old Journalism school and seeing all the friendly faces on campus, there is nothing like experiencing Marquette.

2) Giants beat Green Bay – We were in Milwaukee the same weekend that the Giants played in Green Bay. The last time I was in Green Bay was the 2007 NFC championship game. I told Robert that, come hell or high water, we were going to the game. I went onto Twitter to see if anyone was selling tickets. Lo and behold, StubHub was giving away five separate pairs of tickets to the game. All we had to do was enter our favorite song to get pumped up for football. We entered our song on Saturday night. On Sunday morning, I woke up to find out that we won the last pair of tickets. The best part was that we sat on the 40 yard line! The trip up to Lambeau field, the game and even meeting some of the Giants players after the game was the absolute icing on the cake of an already perfect weekend.

Giants!

Lambeau Field!

1) Spending the Perfect Weekend with My Son – These are the trips we dream of happening. It was a great bonding experience and something I know we will remember forever. Thanks again to Volvo for including me in the Biggest Fan of the Big East competition. It’s been a great ride! (pun intended).

Brian Moran

When Marquette is on TV, I gather my kids around in our den, some sporting MU garb, and we discuss strategies for beating our opponent that day. At halftime, up or down, we go outside to shoot baskets. We talk about the game and what we need to do in order to pull out a win in the 2nd half. There are definitely traditions and superstitions that come with watching Marquette basketball in my house.

But watching Big East basketball has been a Moran family tradition since the league was formed in 1979. Marquette, Georgetown, St. John’s and Providence are all heavily represented in my extended family. Some of my fondest memories are watching Big East basketball with my siblings & cousins in the tiny den at my parent’s house on Long Island. We would cram 15-20 people into the room during family gatherings to watch, yell, scream and cheer. In the end, there were always a few trash talkers and many who were drowning their sorrows. But we all treasured the experiences and the times together.

The biggest cheerleader in the bunch was my father. He lived for the start of every Big East basketball season. A graduate of St. John’s and SJU Law school, he would proudly declare each fall season that “This was going to be St. John’s year!” He would call me before the start of each season and asked me to send him a roster and game schedule for St. John’s. He would then circle each game on the list where the Johnnies were playing one of his kid’s schools. Come game day, we knew to expect his call if our school was playing St. John’s. My father would always say “Good luck this season…just not tonight.” If we weren’t watching the game with him, there would be at least 10-15 calls back and forth. “Did you see that play?” “That was a FOUL!” “We’re just not shooting well tonight.” And then finally, “you played well. Congratulations on the win.”

My Dad passed away on July 27, 2011. I miss sending him a schedule and roster and would love just one more season to discuss the state of Big East basketball, his Red Storm, the days of Louie Carnesecca and how I thought Marquette might do this year. But I have over 30 years of great seasons, magical games and memories of screaming my lungs out in a tiny den on Long Island with my siblings…all in the name of Big East basketball.

Brian Moran

In the 8/6/79 issue of Newsweek, Pete wrote a poignant article titled “Where Have All the Heroes Gone?” It described his visit to the Alamo that year, and how, in 1979, America had to look much harder to find heroes to compare to Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie, William Travis and James Butler Bonham, to name just a few.

After reading it, I wondered who Pete would write about when searching for heroes in the 21st century. Clearly, he would have been deeply moved by the brave men and women who died on 9/11. He would also write about the selflessness of our armed forces fighting overseas (tying in his love of sports by writing about Pat Tillman). And, I’m sure he would have dedicated an entire article to Jason Dunham, a 24-year-old Corporal who fell on a grenade to save the lives of at least two other soldiers while fighting in Iraq in 2004.

After reading several articles on today’s heroes, something clicked in my head. I decided to do a search on “entrepreneur” + “heroes.” What I found was an amazing collection of stories on social entrepreneurs who are doing their part (and more) to make the world a better place to live. In one article, I learned about the Skoll Foundation, which awards millions of dollars every year to support the efforts of such social entrepreneurs. Another article talked about Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and the founder of Grameen Bank. Yunus is working to solve the problems of poverty, hunger, and inequality through micro loans to poor people (mostly women) to help them launch businesses and lift their families out of poverty.

The short journey I took from reading Pete’s article to learning more about social entrepreneurs was enlightening. I’ve always felt that the term “hero” was over-used, but definitely agree that some distinction is necessary for people who are willing to commit their time, energy and resources to making the world a better place. I imagine that the people honored for their work don’t consider themselves heroes either. They see themselves as people working to make a difference because they have the resources, and because they can.

And to them, I say “thank you.”

Brian Moran

1) BE Honest – You will sleep better at night.

2) BE Thankful – To God every day for all that He has given you.

3) BE Respectful – To your parents & to the people helping you in life.

4) BE Generous – With your time, money and resources.

5) BE Confident – You are smart, beautiful and funny. You have absolutely no reason not to be 110% confident in everything you do.

6) BE Curious – Life has so many surprises and treats for people willing to take risks and investigate things. You never know what’s around the next corner.

7) BE Prepared – For the good, the bad and everything in between. You never know when an opportunity will present itself. Being prepared gives you the best chance to take advantage of it.

8) BE Humble – All glory is fleeting.

9) BE Yourself – There is only you in this world. Make the most of being who you are and you will never want to be anyone else.

10) BE On Time – 90% of all success in life can be attributed to showing up on time. Tardiness is disrespectful and a terrible habit. Avoid being late at all costs. In fact, be early.

11) BE The Change – You want to see in the world.

I can think of five traditions at Marquette University. Some started after I graduated while others have been time-honored for many years.

1) Hail Alma Mater

In the afternoons on Marquette campus, if you happened to be passing by Marquette Hall at just the right time, you can hear “Hail Alma Mater” on the carillon in the tower (a set of 48 bells). You might also hear “Ring out a-hoya.” If you are an alum of Marquette, just hearing the first few chimes should take you back to a particular time & place.

2) Real Chili

Before finals or after finals; before games or late night–for many, students and grads, eating at Real Chili is as much of a tradition at Marquette as any other activity.

Located on Wells Street, between 16th and 17th streets, Real Chili should have coined the phrase “It’s not just for breakfast anymore.” I can remember standing behind people who were sitting on the attached stools at the counter, waiting for them to finish their chili so I could sit down.

Late at night, the windows would fog up to the point no one could see in or out. One is not officially a Marquette graduate until they’ve had their bowl of Real Chili.

3) Joan of Arc Chapel

I’ve referred to the chapel several times in previous blog posts. Situated smack in the middle of campus, the chapel is a sanctuary for students running from class to class as well as the evening masses during the week. I always stopped in before my exams to say a quick prayer and to thank God for allowing me to be a part of the Marquette family.

I recently visited the chapel on my return trip to the campus and had the exact same reaction walking through the front doors as I did two decades ago as a student. It’s a feeling that I wish I could bottle up and bring with me. When you enter the chapel, you will understand.

4) Jump Around!

The tradition of Rick Smith–Mr. Jump Around–took root after I graduated from Marquette. An alum of the university. Rick has been a season ticket holder for almost 40 years.

At one game, the song “Jump Around” by House of Pain blared over the loudspeakers during a time out. Rick looked around and saw only students following the song’s orders. So he got up…and started to jump. ESPN picked up on it and the video went viral. Next thing we know, Rick’s one of the fan favorites at Marquette home games…Jump Around!

5) 40 Minutes of HELL!

If you know anything about Marquette basketball, you know that we play a full 40 minutes. Down by 20 at half…no problem. If the game calls for a full-court press, our guys are on it. Want to run the other team off the floor, Marquette players simply tighten their laces.

As the video below indicates, there is no team in the Big East that works out harder, trains longer or brings more energy to every single game than the Golden Eagles. Teams that don’t take our work ethic seriously, do so at their own peril.

Since joining the Big East in 2005, Marquette has gone to the NCAA tournament every single year. Last year, we made the Sweet 16. This year, we want more. We want to be playing basketball in April!

WE ARE…MARQUETTE!!!

Don’t forget to vote for me in Volvo’s “Biggest Fan of the Big East” competition.

Thanks!!

The summer prior to my freshman year, I worked in my uncle’s bar & restaurant in Rockaway, NY. One day, a crew from WNBC-NY walked in to have lunch. They were in town filming a segment for an upcoming show about a college basketball legend.

Almost on cue, into the bar walked Al Mcguire, one of the greatest coaches in men’s college basketball. Al grew up in Rockaway and was back with NBC to trace his roots (my uncle’s bar was across the street from the famous “108th street” basketball courts where players such as Lew Alcindor, Brian Winters, Len Elmore & the Mcguire brothers tore it up every summer).

When I told him I was going to Marquette, Al’s face lit up. He spent almost an hour with me telling me all the wonderful things about the school. What I remember most is the laughter and him stressing the importance of getting a good Jesuit education.

For all of the talented players who went through Al’s program, his great wins, and ultimately his capturing the NCAA Championship in 1977 (in his last game ever as a coach), Al Mcguire will be remembered most for his incredible wit.

He was a rare combination of humor, sarcasm, sincerity, intelligence, intensity, fairness and compassion. Recently, I came across a book which included some of Al’s best quotes (from A to Z). Below are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

DINING – I went into a restaurant one night and ordered lobster, and the waiter brought me one with a claw missing. I called him over and told him about it. He told me that in the back there’s a tank they keep lobsters in and, while in there, they fight and sometimes one loses a claw. I told him, “then bring me the winner.”

EDUCATION – I think everyone should go to college and get a degree and then spend six months as a bartender and six months as a cab driver. Then they would really be educated.

FIGHTING – When a guy takes off his coat, he’s not going to fight. When a guy takes off his wristwatch, watch out!

MOTTOS – (1) Live every day as if it were Saturday night. (2) Dream big. Don’t be just another guy going down the street and going no where. (3) Live in the moment that you are in. Make your life exciting. Do what you have to do as long as you don’t hurt people.

NEW YORK – I come from New York where, if you fall down, someone will pick you up by your wallet.

PERSONALITY – A team should be an extension of a coaches personality. My teams are arrogant and obnoxious.

QUICKNESS – Dean Meminger was quicker than 11:15 Mass at a seaside resort.

RECRUITING – My rule was I wouldn’t recruit a kid if he had grass in front of his house. That’s not my world. My world has a cracked sidewalk.

EXIT – I had my moment on the stage. The trick in life is to know when to leave.

Here’s what it said:

When Your Hut is on Fire

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. Stranded and deathly afraid, he prayed feverishly for God to rescue him.