Sense on Cents

Let’s take a break from the markets, economy, Wall Street, and Washington for a moment. Now, let’s focus on those things that truly matter in life. Do I have your attention? Good. We are due a break from the trials and tribulations navigating our economic landscape and we should think about those items with even deeper meaning. Yes, the pursuit of passions which bring real substance to our lives. These labors of love have little to do with the fact that today kicks off the start of Labor Day Weekend but everything to do with another type of kickoff. I am sure many of you know exactly where I am going with this. Yes, this weekend means one thing, the start of another season of college football. How great!!

I have been looking forward to this day for the last nine months. While I truly enjoy the spirit of college football in general, my real passion is following and supporting my Alma Mater, the Holy Cross Crusaders. This afternoon the 2010 Crusader contingent will kickoff its defense of the 2009 Patriot League Championship versus the Howard University Bison.

What makes Holy Cross Football such a special experience for me? A number of reasons including:

1. Quality time spent with my family, especially my 11 year old son Timmy. The drives to the games talking strategy are great memories unto themselves (although Timmy will ultimately choose to watch a video or play a game), the time together both going to and coming home from the game is priceless.

2. Seeing our children who are students at Holy Cross. Our eldest son is a senior and has worked with the Holy Cross football team for the last few years. He is even more passionate about Holy Cross athletics, and especially football, than I am. In fact, he has a blog in which he writes about Holy Cross Football. I am biased, but he is an excellent writer. Check out his work at Chu Chu Rah Rah. Our daughter is a junior at Holy Cross, and equally passionate about the program as the boys. We will miss her at the games this year as she is studying abroad in Ireland. My better two thirds, probably seven-eighths, loves seeing the kids and knows I am only half kidding when I say, “Holy Cross Football is what we really live for, the stuff that happens during the week is merely a diversion.”

3. Holy Cross has the finest collegiate football coach in the country. I have had the good fortune of developing a nice relationship with Tom Gilmore, who is entering his seventh year coaching the Crusaders. If Tom were not coaching football, I have no doubt he would be leading a wildly successful corporation. His passion, his discipline, his vision, his work ethic, and his dynamic personality are all infectious. I have never come across an individual who wants to win more while accentuating the true essence of student-athletes than Coach Gilmore. Holy Cross is lucky to have him, and I love seeing him put this product on display every fall. I chair the Holy Cross Gridiron Leadership Council which is an alumni group that strives to help Holy Cross Football win ‘on and off the field.’ The HCGLC is driven to help elevate the Holy Cross Football ‘product’ into the best in class ‘brand.’

4. The relationships with friends, extended family, players, players’ parents, and other alums are all fabulous. The common bond of Holy Cross Football is very strong. Alumni support for the program and players is extraordinary. The aforementioned HCGLC has a spectacular Mentoring Program which has grown from its initial launch last year and now consists of 115 alums from 25 states and 20 distinct industries. The impact of this program is opening doors and changing lives of the young men at Holy Cross. In true Jesuit fashion, while the mentors give their guidance and wisdom to the HC football student-athletes, they receive their youthful spirit in return. So great!!

I could write a lot more on why this segment of my life is so special, but I will leave it there.

Now, let’s go get a win. My prediction for today….

Holy Cross Crusaders 35
Howard University Bison 17

Larry Doyle HC ’83

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I have no affiliation or business interest with any entity referenced in this commentary. As President of Greenwich Investment Management, an SEC regulated privately held registered investment adviser, I am merely a proponent of real transparency within our markets so that investor confidence and investor protection can be achieved.

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 4th, 2010 at 9:29 AM and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.