right now. In the late 80s i was in the Navy attached to a small ship out of Newport RI. Bill House was a shipmate, somewhat senior, very well-respected, and one of the nicest, best-hearted men you'd ever want to meet. Beautiful wife and kids back home, but doing what he needed to do for a couple of years up in (and around) Newport. He'd let me stow my guitar in his workspace, the Gunfire Control Plotting Room ("You can't fight in here - this is the War Room!"), which he didn't really have to do for such a new and junior kid like me. From time to time i'd wander in and pick up the guitar, and he was always very friendly and hospitable and accommodating. We'd get to talking, mostly about sports, sportsmanship, etc. Bill was from Alabama and was a big Tide fan, and fan of the SEC. Way up there in N.E., it seemed like he and i were the only two college basketball fans, and certainly the only two SEC fans. We'd talk about Gators and Crimson Tide, and football and basketball and baseball, and we both were always very respectful of the other's team and both came to appreciate the other's experiences and viewpoint. Cats and dogs living together. In 1987, Providence College's basketball team took the area by storm, led by hotshot coach Rick Pitino and spearheaded by a pudgy, sweaty sharpshooter named Billy Donovan. They were so much fun to watch! As the NCAA tourney opened and we looked at the brackets, it seemed Billy House's Tide and (everybody else's) Providence Friars might be on a collision course, and Bill and i chatted often about the potential matchup and watched with awe as the Friars made the Sweet 16. Y'all ever watch an exhausted puppy or dog come in from a scorching day outside, and just plop its head right down into its water bowl? The way Billy the Kid played ball reminded me of that. Always covered in sweat, huge black hightops carrying tiny little shorts upcourt, and then the ball getting launched from farther away than we'd ever seen, and almost always going in, and counting for more points than we'd ever seen. As a short, slow, white boy with no handle, you couldn't not love him, and enjoy watching him play ball. They were such fun to watch and easy to root for....my Gators weren't doing much in the NCAA in those days, and Bill didn't seem to mind that i had jumped on the PC bandwagon. Billy House and i watched that game and lost count of the threes that Billy D rained down on the Tide - it was awesome. Billy House was such a great sport, and i didn't really give him a hard time about the loss - we were both just kind of amazed at the brave new onslaught that Ricky P and Billy D had set loose. PC's incredible run of course ended, but Billy D stayed a point of reference for Billy House and i, and we'd often just chuckle and say "Billy Donovan" to each other and smile as we'd pass each other, as we both had much appreciation for the way he played the game. We both left the ship as our duty tours ended, and we've long since fallen out of touch, but i know Billy House thinks of me when he thinks of UF sports, and i absolutely know that he thinks of me when he thinks of the incredible basketball program that Billy Donovan has built at UF, and that he's smiling today along with the rest of us.