The men's tennis team advanced to the second round of its NCAA tournament last year, but it lost its top five players and is not expected to return. Men's rugby went to a national tournament last year, also.

While some alums might still cling to the outdated notion that the Ivy League is the athletic foundation of this country, the rest of us are living in the real world. But the real world isn't that bad.

Even though the football team isn't going to crack the AP Top 25 this season (or in our lifetimes) the conference still generates respect in soccer, tennis, ice hockey, field hockey, basketball (Princeton men only), lacrosse, squash and baseball.

Let's not fool ourselves, however: Harvard is no Michigan. "Ten Thousand Men of Harvard" does not enjoy the universal recognition of "Cheer, cheer for Old Notre Dame." The Crimson is hardly even mentioned on ESPN, let alone CBS.

But damnit, our women's lacrosse team can beat up any other women's lacrosse team in the country. Just name the time and the place.

Harvard is a serious place. Sports are no exception.