So are these the best three weeks of the year (except maybe the ones leading up to Christmas when you're five) or what?
Yesterday, Mike and I did our Saturday chores at warp speed so we could indulge in an afternoon and evening of heart and heartache. After watching Sienna (where in the world is that, anyway?) squeak past Ohio State on Friday night, we knew we were in for a treat as the tournament clicked into full bunny on the weekend.
OK, so where were the second half Huskies during the FIRST half against Purdue? Did you see that kid Thomas hoist the team on his back and do everything within his power to carry them home? A true freshman with more grace and poise in his 19-year-old thumb than I have in my whole 40-year-old body. Foul trouble made it a tough final game for Brockman, but he can finish his college career feeling good about his contributions in the second half. To be down by 14 and finish within 2 shows heart.
And then there was the Gonzaga buzzer beater from freshman Goodson...and the bar fight between Texas and Duke...I had planned to spin through a few of these games but I don't think my heart could take it. Plucky Syracuse plays Arizona State today. I hate to root against the Pac-10 but I'm making an exception.
When the final minutes tick off the clock during the close games, you see the guys on the bench link arms. It reminds you that these are boys not far from the playgrounds of their youth, not men yet. This is not NBA "I'm getting paid to be here" behavior. This is a game with high stakes, played by athletes with dreams. For a few of the athletes, the tournament is a means to an end -- stats summarized impressively for an NBA scout to read on a resume. But for others, the dream is just to be there, on that bench, on that court, in that arena.
I know in my athletic life, the gift is the journey. It's the happy/hard training days, the friendships, the small but meaningful improvements, the general esteem that comes from performing well. Sure, I like to win. But in the end, it's getting there that matters.
Some people say that half of an Ironman victory is getting to the starting line without injury. So far, I have not even managed that. Tomorrow, I am having the cortisone shot that will help decide whether or not I will.
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I had no idea you were a March Madness fan.
ReplyDeleteThree cheers for a successful cortisone shot and resutls. ANd hey--I know plenty of people who got to Ironman victory but with a few injuries and broken bones on the way there :). Of course, timing is everything. I am thinking postiively for you.