An evening with JT

If my wife, and others of our age group and older, were to read the title of this post, they would probably think I am about to write about a James Taylor concert. Nope! Sorry to disappoint.

Rather, I am writing about a splendid reunion we had last night with a long-lost member of the Marist Running Family. John T. Lasker (JT), class of 1997, was in town last night on Official Business for ESPN, where he works in programming and acquisitions for ESPN’s digital and TV platforms. He was here to see the new McCann Arena’s first home basketball game – women vs. Villanova – and to check out the stunningly high-tech Control Room up near our offices on the second floor of McCann.

After his Official Business portion of the trip with Marist’s Director of Athletics Tim Murray, he stopped by my office and we caught up on old news and new business, since his long-lost days as a Running Red Fox back in the mid-1990s. Minutes turned to hours as we discussed his running days and his immensely successful career at ESPN.

Sure, he was here to check things out for current and future multimedia partnerships with Marist and the MAAC. But he is also part of the Marist Running Family, and the reunion was a wonderful experience. He will always be one of “our boys” – although, some of “our boys” are now in their mid-30s and beyond!

Like all alums of our program, we remain proud of everything they have accomplished in the time they were here, but especially in the time since they have departed. Even though 14-plus years have passed since JT wore the black singlet (Oh! It’s true! We did wear black back in the day!) of our program, time melted away as we chatted about the past, present and future.

It is my sincere hope that, 14 or so years from now, some member of our current team will come back to McCann in some official or unofficial capacity, sit in the office and talk about the past, present and future with (by then) a truly old man.