There is something very positive to be said about being a "good sport." Last Thursday night I was enjoying the TV broadcast of the Atlantic Ten Conference Basketball Championship with some friends.

Needless to say, I was quite pleased with the outcome since I am a recent Rutgers graduate. My blood still bleeds scarlet, and probably always will.

My friends were Penn State fans who were reviewing all the "should-have-been's" and "could have been's" by game's end. At the start of the evening, we knew that one side would win and the other would not. I am glad though, that my team won. However, that was not important last Thursday night; our getting together and sharing an enjoyable evening was.

Still on the subject of sportsmanship, I would just like to express a public "Thank You" to Elaine Musser and the Lady Lions' Cagers' Club who so graciously allowed me to travel with them to Rutgers on Saturday, March 4th, knowing full well that I was a diehard Rutgers' fan. I did get some lighthearted teasing, but that was expected.

As soon as we got off the bus, I hurried down to the bleachers of the Louis Brown Athletic Center where after four years, I returned to play with the Rutgers Pep Band as an alumni member.

The homecoming was long-awaited, and I cheered and screamed as the Lady Knights went on to win.

But to my surprise, I did not get the verbal abuse I expected on the bus returning. Rather, the Lady Lion Cagers' Club made me feel welcome as part of "their family." Trust me, it made the 10-hour round trip go all the faster.

The point in both situations is that winning was not the important thing, but the good times shared together were. Granted, I would have been disappointed if Rutgers had lost either time, but I still would have enjoyed the experience.

The key was to keep all of this in perspective. They were just sporting events, which really do not mean all that much in the "grand scheme of things."

I am glad that Rutgers has had a good year against Penn State with a 5-1 combined record in football, and men's and women's basketball. But next year, the "Law of Averages" will probably kick in and things will not be the same.

What was important was the fact that we were each able to support our separate teams, and be able to walk away as friends afterwards.