Nobody has raged, complained, vented, or whined more than I have this past week about the messy, ugly state of affairs that has buried our favorite sports team, and raised a plethora of concerns about its future. We all feel terrible about what happened to these guys, even though most of us probably have no personal connection to a single player or coach on this team. They are no more an actual part of our lives than an actor on our favorite TV show, yet the outpouring of rage over a perceived injustice has been almost as though someone walked up and punched a beloved family member in the face. It may be the biggest downside to following a team that plays with so much heart and passion--you can't help but feel awful for them that they may have been denied the best chance they'll ever have for a championship because of a stupid act of thuggery by an opponent. But as much as we all grieve and agonize about it, sooner or later, just like they do, we as fans have to pick up and move on.

I'm sure all of us have lives outside of following the Phoenix Suns. We probably each have hobbies we like to partake of, places we like to visit, sports we like to play, family to spend time with, etc. I think it might be good for us all to find something we enjoy doing and pursue it vigorously with as much gusto as we can muster. As much as we wish there was something we could do to give the Suns their season back, we can't. I'm not one to throw out phrases like "these guys don't deserve our sympathy because they make millions". You could say the same about any one of us when compared to, say, a starving child in Africa. And I don't think any amount of money means a person doesn't get deeply disappointed and crushed when a life-long dream gets taken out of reach once again, especially under these particular circumstances. So it's fine, and even human to feel bad for them. But I will say that when there's nothing you can do about something, it's probably best to go find something you can do something about. So, perhaps it's time to read that book you've never gotten around to, volunteer for a charity, take that trip you postponed until late June, go on a dinner date with your wife/husband, or do whatever you can find that makes you happy. It doesn't make us bad fans to resume the other aspects of our lives that we temporarily placed on hold while the Suns were spilling their guts out on the floor in an ill-fated attempt to reach their dream. It just means we're trying to make the best of a bad situation. I'm sure the Suns are planning to do the same.

As for me, I will be taking what has become an annual mid-year, mini-vacation over the Memorial Day weekend. There will be large amounts of hiking involved. I will enjoy the awesomeness of nature, and spend as much time as possible away from computers, TV, work, news, and anything else that doesn't include absolutely pouring myself into having as much fun as I can. For reasons I won't get into (except to say it has nothing to do with basketball), this is a difficult time of year for me. The ugliness that has been thrown onto the main thing I would normally use to distract myself from it has made me that much more determined to get the most I can out of my remaining diversion. I can't remember when I was this excited about getting out of the city for a few days. I absolutely can't wait!