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The intimidation tactics employed by the University of Cincinnati men's basketball team backfired on them against Illinois in the 2nd round of the 2004 NCAA tournament. During warm-ups, Bearcat players warned the Illini to get ready for a bus ride home after the game. Instead of intimidating Illinois, the Cincinnati trash-talking sparked the Fighting Illini onto a 92-68 thrashing. Following the game, it was the Bearcats who were boarding the bus for their trip home.
Abby was on cloud 9. She was a freshman who had just made the varsity girls' soccer team. She played hard her freshman year, but when tryouts came her 10th grade year, she put no effort into what she was doing. She thought she was guaranteed a spot on the team. Abby got cut.
This story can easily be paralleled with the Christian walk. So many times we become complacent and feel that since we've accepted Christ, we've done our job. It's easy to sit in FCA or our youth groups, but what really matters is how we are pushing ourselves to become better Christians. Halfway doesn't cut it with God. In Revelation 3:15-16 God tells us He'd rather us be hot or cold. We have a world to save. We can't afford to be complacent.
Paul reminds me of a great basketball player of the mid-80's who played for the Atlanta Hawks: Spud Webb. For you young athletes out there, Spud Webb is a 5' 7" man who had dreams of playing in a "Big Man's League." Did he make it? Did he ever! He was quoted as saying, "No one expected or imagined that a person of my size could win a slam dunk contest or make it into the NBA."
March Madness has arrived. How did these 64 teams and 64 head coaches arrive in the tournament? Some teams had it easy, some had a tough road, and still others charted new territory as they brought their team to the tournament for the first time in years. Early in the season, many coaches had to decide if they were going to dance to the madness or become miserable as their hopes were dashed by defeat after defeat. One such Coach took the road from misery to March Madness to ministry. Lorenzo Romar, head coach of the Washington Huskies, found the right road to take.
The NCAA men's basketball tournament breeds controversy and cries of injustice. There are always teams who feel they deserve an at-large bid to the tournament and have their hopes crushed by the selection committee. The 2004 tournament selection was no different. Texas-El Paso snuck in with a 19-13 record, while Utah State, ranked No. 22 in the country with a 25-3 record, got snubbed. Then there are others who made it in, but feel they did not get the seed they deserved. Mama always told me, "Life isn't fair."
March Madness has arrived. State and College basketball tournaments have begun and many are finished. In our state (Illinois), the girls' AA tournament just ended. Once again, Naperville Central won the state crown, led by Coach Andy Nussbaum and athlete Candace Parker. Candace tore her ACL last summer and missed many games before Christmas, but since her return, they have gone undefeated all the way to back-to-back state championships. She was the difference-maker for her team. She will be heading to Tennessee to play for Coach Pat Summit next year.
The University of Colorado has stiffened its recruiting guidelines for the school's football program amidst allegations of rape and other inappropriate activities during recruiting visits. When asked if the tougher guidelines would hurt recruiting, school chancellor Richard Byyny said, "It really doesn't matter. We want to have a model program. We want to make sure students understand they are here first for an education."
Putting stricter recruiting guidelines on the football team could cost the program and the school many rewards, as well as the financial incentives that come with them. Despite the potential cost, the university should be commended for implementing restrictions to try to restore some integrity to the program and the school.
She was a cute and happy kindergartener in the very first PE class I taught in 1987. I knew she would grow up to be quite a young lady. Seventeen years later, Kristen is a senior playing basketball for a Christian college in Indiana. Coming off an outstanding high school career, Kristen has had a hard time finding success at the next level in most people's eyes. You will not find a harder worker or a more disciplined ball player than this young lady, but for some reason her number is not called too many times. Many players in her situation would have quit by now, but not Kristen.
Oh, to be Lawrence Frank. Yes, old Larry Boy. Oh, you don't know who he is? He is the current coach of the New Jersey Nets. Why do I say current? Well, in the coaching profession, there are two kinds of coaches: those who have been fired, and others who will be. However, for now, Coach Frank is enjoying the limelight of a winning team. What has made the difference for this team? I am not sure, but I am sure the players are buying into what he is teaching team on a day-to-day basis. Keep up the great work, Coach Frank!
Mike is one of my best friends. What you need to know about Mike is that he is a natural-born athlete. I, on the other hand, am a natural-born glutton for punishment. When Mike and I were in college and graduate school, we spent a lot of time working at our neighborhood pool during the summers. When there was a break in the action, we'd play some basketball on one of the hoops that was set up adjacent to the pool's tennis courts. I never beat him head-to-head. Let's just say that he was the Kevin McHale of our neighborhood, while I played basketball like the swimmer I was. Sometimes, though, one of Mike's best friends from college, Jeff, would stop by for a visit.
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