Cavaleri's on the court antics will be missed

I enjoyed Patrick Finley's article on the front page of the Arizona Daily Star this morning about Wildcat superfan Joe Cavaleri. The "Ooh Aah Man" has walked to center court countless times since 1979 and for 34 years has ignited the Arizona crowd with his antics -- rallying the 14,000 plus at McKale Center and putting them into the right state of mind, allowing them to turn up the volume, so to speak, adding  support to our Arizona Wildcats' basketball team.

Say it ain't so, Joe!

Do we really have to say goodbye?

Cavaleri is retiring from his "game-day commitments" due to health reasons, which includes Parkinson's disease.  The disease has slowed down the Ooh Aah Man, but we, the Arizona fans, can rest assured he'll still be on hand, sitting in the crowd, cheering on his Wildcats, for years to come.

Once a Wildcat superfan, alway a superfan!

And so it goes with the rest of us diehard Wildcat fans.

I was 34 years old when I first saw Cavaleri do his thing at McKale. He was just a youngster at 27. Together we have lived the life of a Wildcat fan, along with many, many others. From the opening tip to the final buzzer we have all been on the edge of our seat, cheering on our favorite basketball team.

Being an Arizona Wildcat fan is an honor. Just ask the Ooh Aah Man, who knows that for a fact, up close and personal, right from center court.

For a moment in time, today,  the crowd at McKale will stand and honor him.

Today's game will be full of emotion, after all the Arizona State Sun Devils are in town and the Wildcat seniors will be playing their final game at McKale.

Cavaleri's moment will follow with a round of applause, and a tear or two as well.