Go Bucs!
Last night, I saw what might have been the most exciting basketball game I've seen in the last 10 years - between my alma mater Beloit College and 11 year leading NCAA scorer and conference rival Grinnell. It was the first televised Division III sports event ever to appear on national TV, and as usual, Beloit was considered the underdog (we were just a gallery to show off Grinnell's amazing offensive game using "The System", which subs so many players that it looks more like hockey than basketball).
I was lucky enough to see the game with 30 other fellow alums and parents at a local sports pub, and the atmosphere was electric. Grinnell depends on running their opponents into the ground by keeping fresh legs on the court, putting up 5 times the shots of their opponent, and playing the law of averages with the 3 point game - run and gun basketball at its finest, which is the best kind to watch. It's all about tempo, but Beloit managed not only to keep this team that scores an average of 131 points a game to 87 points, they also managed to lead 40 out of 45 minutes, in spite of dozens of bad calls (literally) and very generous allowances by the refs to the home Grinnell team.
Coach Cecil Youngblood, burgeoning star player Hinz and the rest of the Bucs not only didn't get crushed this game, they outthought, outplayed, and outlasted the opposition against overwhelming odds. Whatever I may think sometimes about my college experience - that it was too esoteric, or that I should have gone to someplace that looks better on my resume - this game reminded me that the little guy can come out ahead, and that quality always defeats quantity. Being around my fellow alums and seeing how well all of us are doing in our lives, I think that rule applies to us all. So cheers to you, Beloit and our champion Bucs, who, if they don't win a title, will certainly remain heroes for all of us scattered around the world.
Last night, I saw what might have been the most exciting basketball game I've seen in the last 10 years - between my alma mater Beloit College and 11 year leading NCAA scorer and conference rival Grinnell. It was the first televised Division III sports event ever to appear on national TV, and as usual, Beloit was considered the underdog (we were just a gallery to show off Grinnell's amazing offensive game using "The System", which subs so many players that it looks more like hockey than basketball).
I was lucky enough to see the game with 30 other fellow alums and parents at a local sports pub, and the atmosphere was electric. Grinnell depends on running their opponents into the ground by keeping fresh legs on the court, putting up 5 times the shots of their opponent, and playing the law of averages with the 3 point game - run and gun basketball at its finest, which is the best kind to watch. It's all about tempo, but Beloit managed not only to keep this team that scores an average of 131 points a game to 87 points, they also managed to lead 40 out of 45 minutes, in spite of dozens of bad calls (literally) and very generous allowances by the refs to the home Grinnell team.
Coach Cecil Youngblood, burgeoning star player Hinz and the rest of the Bucs not only didn't get crushed this game, they outthought, outplayed, and outlasted the opposition against overwhelming odds. Whatever I may think sometimes about my college experience - that it was too esoteric, or that I should have gone to someplace that looks better on my resume - this game reminded me that the little guy can come out ahead, and that quality always defeats quantity. Being around my fellow alums and seeing how well all of us are doing in our lives, I think that rule applies to us all. So cheers to you, Beloit and our champion Bucs, who, if they don't win a title, will certainly remain heroes for all of us scattered around the world.
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