Among the Baby Boomer Generation, in particular although by no means is this exclusive, the one drug that they needed most of all was oil. Yes oil. Not any recreational drug, though many used and abused them, nor alcohol, though that and nicotine were the fuel of their parents –The Greatest Generation — but oil. It was a structural addiction, reinforced by society as normal. Entire elections were swayed by the way gas and heating prices went. People were held at the mercy of cartels like OPEC and by countless industries in Texas because their lives, and importantly, their luxuries, depended on oil.

Crucially, the ability to interact with friends and loved ones required oil. It required gasoline for cars and planes. It required oil so that businesses could run and deals could be cut. It required the ability to be in physical proximity of important people in a reasonable time in order for things to function.

That dynamic has changed dramatically. The Internet has changed everything. It has also yielded a new addiction.

The Millennial generation isn’t big on cars and prefers walkable communities. Full disclosure, I fit in with my generation. Driving is stressful and not fun. But the thing that infuriates, beyond what is reasonable, both myself and people in my demographic is a lack of WiFi. So much of the day to day lives of people 40 and under exist online. To cut us off from that is like cutting a teenager off from the car in the 1950’s or 60’s. It’s isolating and infuriating and debilitating. It’s our new drug.

That yields consequences.

It can lead to influenced election preferences, lifetime ideological perspectives and attitudes that will not fade, nor change, nor rest. I say that because I’ve been without it for the past few days in certain spots and my reaction has been as infuriated, irrational and indictable as anyone coping with withdrawal. I do not say that lightly nor am I writing it to mock a disease. Actually my point is the opposite. We have sanctioned addictions and non-sanctioned addictions. These two, are sanctioned. But to be honest were they unsanctioned the Black Market for WiFi would be more ruthless than anything out there now. Yes, worse than drugs.

I know, because this week — while moving — my laptop died. Between the lack of setup in the apartment and the lack of a laptop to go somewhere else and pirate, I was without up to the minute communication for large stretches of time. Those who follow me on Twitter @TJ22Hatter can probably attest to that. The amount of money I was willing to pay to get both of those things back up and running was criminal and I was more than willing to do it. Willing to do it without a second thought. Willing to do it if it meant skipping meals and ducking out important events or social occasions if it meant being there for things being set up properly. If that sounds like addiction, that’s because it is and it’s not just me.

We’re all addicted to to the internet in general and WiFi in particular.

I’m writing to point this out because this is a legal and widespread addiction and because I have it. If you read Clay Travis or Louis C.K.  on the issue, or the great recent NY Mag article what you’ll find is that, while rationally we understand that this is not healthy and is potentially psychologically troubling, we’re all doing it. It also didn’t help that it’s cold and isolating up here in NY where I live and it snowed, yet again, so the option of going outside for distraction wasn’t there. But even if it was, I know I’d still be cranky and searching for a place to log on and make sure my online life wasn’t collapsing. I’d just be cranky out in the sun.

A more minor, though no less potent addiction of mine is Tennessee Basketball. The man who fostered it was Bruce Pearl. You may have heard a bit about him this week. Tennessee Basketball is the internet. WiFi is Bruce Pearl.

Tennessee Basketball spent the week largely in a tailspin. The fact that they, in effect, beat Texas A&M twice and yet still lost a game that they could not afford to lose was bad enough. But the way they did it was especially painful — A Timeout Which Will Live In Infamy — and what I could see on social media when I could see it reflected the fact that Tennessee and Coach Cuonzo Martin didn’t merely step on a lego, they stepped on a tack.

There was blood in the water. Bring Back Bruce became national with Clay Travis leading the crusade and Gregg Doyel –who is clearly not enthralled by Coach Pearl — chiming in. It isn’t just message boards and the disgruntled few. It’s a full on campaign, complete with a Buzzfeed listicle.

Vol fans are not just addicted to Tennessee Basketball. Vol fans are addicted to Bruce Pearl.

It almost doesn’t matter what happens on the court now. Tennessee won their game against Mississippi State this week, by the way. The addiction is almost independent. Tennessee fans want Pearl and that is it. Period. It’s almost as if the University of Tennessee WiFi went out on campus for three years.

Onward.

Glance Game Of The Weekend

(4) Syracuse at (12) Virginia  (TV: 4 PM EST ESPN)

Virginia is a sneaky good team this year and their continued success is good for the Tennessee Vols, that is if we’re still entertaining the notion of the Vols getting in off the bubble, so therefore the fact that it’s entirely possible that these two teams could play a game that results in a 37-49 finish is balanced against the fact that there is Tennessee Vols skin in the game. A Virginia win helps the Vols. Period. But there might be more bricks during this game than in the entirety of the UT Campus in Knoxville. So take a look to check on Virginia and to enjoy Jim Boeheim and his GIF worthy activities on the sideline. Both are worthy of some of your time.

Haterade Game Of The Weekend

Auburn at Alabama  (TV: 3 PM EST ESPNU) 

The depression of the Vols season and this miserable winter we’ve been having really manifested itself among fans this week. When I could see what was happening on social media, the venomous hatred was out there like a wave. I have found a place for you to express your anguish away from those in the Tennessee Volunteer’s basketball program. This game. It’s perfect. Now, to be clear, both of these teams are terrible. Auburn had their one shining moment, almost, when they put a scare into Florida last week. Alabama is mulling a coaching change and has been a disappointment this year. So watch this game for schadenfreude. You deserve it. It’s never healthy for you to be in a place where you’re constantly frustrated at your own team. Where you’re at work and glancing out the window and have stray thoughts about how your coach being fired would be a day brightener for you. So take that energy out here. Laugh at the futility before you in this game with the comfort that it isn’t your program. Tennessee might not make the NCAA tourney this year, but each year they’ve been a team with a winning record that gave you moments, however brief of joy, to be the refreshing chaser to go along with disappointment. These teams have NONE of that. And you hate them. Enjoy this chance to revel in that.

Reservation Game Of The Weekend

(7) Louisville at (21) Memphis (TV: 2 PM EST CBS)

This is the best made-for-TV game this weekend. Louisville is quietly a contender for the whole thing yet again and Memphis will make the dance this year, though it isn’t clear that they’ll make anything of it when they get in. Rick Pitino and his beard (and no that isn’t code) has a very good team this year that you’ve heard surprisingly little about in the grand scheme of basketball noise. But one of the losses they’ve taken is to this Memphis team, which has some players that are very entertaining and capable of doing things like this. As few points as will be scored in the Syracuse-Virginia game, the opposite is true of this game. Expect to be entertained. You’ll also likely summon up some haterade from Pitino’s days at Kentucky, or when his Louisville team knocked the Vols out of the NCAA tourney a few years back or, when the Lady Cards did the same to the Lady Vols last year. As for Memphis? This.

Vanderbilt at Tennessee (TV: 12 PM EST ESPN 2)

Tennessee won and scored over 70 points on Wednesday, both of which are reasons to be cheerful. It is also to this teams immense credit that they were able to block out so much of the noise that occurred this week and go out and win the game. The amount of chatter was a tidal wave and yet from Coach Martin down, managed to shut it out enough to win on the road. Jordan McRae was once again special, scoring 29 points and grabbing a season-high 10 rebounds, and Jarnell Stokes and Jeronne Maymon were both exactly what they needed to be in the middle. Some how, some way Tennessee remains projected as one of the “Last Four In” despite what we’ve seen along the way. The bubble is that weak. But they need to take care of business against a Vandy team that beat them in Nashville earlier this year. The season will likely be decided in the game against Missouri on March 8th, in a knock out game, but in order for Tennessee to keep their foot in the door of the tourney, they have to go in their without any more losses. Plus it’s Vandy. There are a multitude of reasons to want to beat Vandy that have nothing to do with self-preservation. But, at this time of year, self-preservation remains paramount.

 Something To Watch On Selection Sunday

It could be a rough day. Perhaps you’ll enjoy the wonderfully posh and surprisingly provocative work of Jimmy Carr.

Enjoy the weekend, your WiFi and the games.