CHICAGO — Trying to find my way to my aunt and uncle’s house in Chicago after the women’s basketball loss late Saturday night, I realized many people in the N.C. State community — myself and my publication included — don’t appreciate its student athletes and coaches enough.

There were senior Billie McDowell and junior Ashley Key, sitting at the table on the podium answering questions from the few media members who stuck around to get comments from the State press conference. They were exhausted, and they had a look in their eyes as if they had failed at something.

After coach Kay Yow answered my questions with the same gentle politeness she’s graced State with for 31 years, it hit me.

That team isn’t a bunch of failures. That team deserves our thanks for everything it’s done this season.

Then I thought about the 12 cheerleaders, 16 band members, all the trainers and Mr. Wuf who all had to miss two days of school for the trip to Chicago. Their schedules are off the wall, and their commitment deserves to be thanked. So, to the entire Chicago party, “Thanks.”

I drove a little farther down the road in my rented Jeep, searching for a country station — which doesn’t exist in Chicago — and I started thinking about the heat that’s been placed on our men’s basketball team and especially on coach Herb Sendek.

Seniors Ilian Evtimov, Tony Bethel and Cameron Bennerman were 24 hours removed from defending their coach’s job to media. That was after the four-hour flight to Dallas and missing three days of school. I’ve never experienced it, but sitting up there fielding questions from goons like me has to be difficult. It has to wear on the soul a bit.

But no one’s had to face more of it than Sendek. He wins — we ask why we didn’t win by more. He loses — we offer to drive him to the airport for a one-way trip to Siberia.

I can’t defend whether Sendek is the best person for the job or whether he should leave or whether he should stay, because I don’t know the answers to those questions.

I do, however, know two things. I know that certain people close to Sendek testify he’s one of the funniest and nicest people at State. And I spoke with a person very close to the situation Friday who said Sendek won’t be leaving Raleigh.

If that’s the case, the State community — myself and my publication included — needs to not only get off his back, but to also embrace him and let him do his job. If he sticks around after this season, then it’s finally time to let Herb Sendek be Herb Sendek and let him build this program. And while some State teams are going through some hard times at the moment, we can’t forget about the great things going on around us. The baseball team just took two of a three-game series against the No. 1 team in the nation, Georgia Tech. The gymnastics team is having a good season with a 17-7 record. And the softball team, which didn’t exist four years ago, is second in the ACC.

I can’t promise that every column I write will be happy or without criticism, and that’s not what I’m suggesting. But driving home Saturday night, I realized I was wrong in some of my thinking, and I thought I’d let you know.

Someone from the sports department did write this column.

Please let Tanner know how you feel about student athletes and/or the state of Wolfpack Athletics at sports@technicianonline.com or call him at 515-2411.