Something positive from big time sports

A repost of my March 25 SlapShots column published in the Woodford Sun.

Cynicism comes naturally to the sports reporter.

It seems that each week I find another negative story to focus on. Arrests. Cheating. Sex scandals. Outrageous comments.

Boorish behavior seems almost the norm for the big time athlete. And unfortunately that leads many sports fans, and detractors alike, to share the cynicism, to assume the worst. Players and coaches tend to find themselves guilty until proven innocent, especially those part of winning programs.

For all of its on court success this season, the University of Kentucky basketball team is no exception. I recently had a conversation with a colleague who insists the program is tainted and that scandal will eventually seep out of the darkest corners of Rupp Arena.

Why? Because he sees the program as a win-at-all cost organization led by a win-at-all cost coach. He reasons that the school will cut corners, recruit bad characters and ultimately mingle with the seedy cast inhabiting the shadows of big time NCAA hoops.

He might be right.

But the evidence, at least in the early going, does not support this notion,

For all of its impressive accomplishments on the court, this UK squad has matched its basketball success with equally notable “decent human being” moments off the court, outside the glare of the spotlight.

One story made national news last week. Rebekah Sims was celebrating her 16th birthday at P.F. Chang’s in Fayette Mall. Wildcat players happened to be sitting at a nearby table, celebrating their SEC Championship. When Rebekah’s older sister asked Patrick Patterson if the players would sing “Happy Birthday,” he arranged a restaurant wide serenade for the birthday girl. Then the players gave her their SEC Championship cake the restaurant had made. But it wasn’t over. About five minutes after the team left, Josh Harrellson returned and presented Rebekah with a basketball signed by the whole team.

“Do you think this would make a good birthday present?” Harrellson reportedly asked as he presented the ball from behind his back.

No, it wasn’t really a big deal. Unless you are a UK fan celebrating your 16th birthday. And that small gesture illuminates something bigger about the character of the kids playing for UK, a fact not lost on Rebekah’s dad, Brian Sims. He sent out an e-mail that ultimately brought national attention to the Cats’ little act of kindness.

“To try to debunk some of the beliefs about the team and the things they’re accused of,” Sims said. “They’re good kids. I think it’s a bad rap.”

He told the Herald-Leader he was referring to commentators’ talk about DeMarcus Cousins’ temper and the notion that UK players are thugs.

Sounds like Sims has experienced the cynicism.

It’s true; singing “Happy Birthday” and giving away a cake and ball doesn’t really prove anything. But consider this: they didn’t have to do it. The players could have easily said, “Sorry, we’re busy.” Or they could have dutifully performed the song and gotten back to their party. But they didn’t. They went above and beyond, and I think that says something about the character of these kids.

And that’s not the only story I’ve heard about UK players going out of their way to engage in a little kindness.

A co-worker had a child participating in a basketball camp at UK last fall. After a session, he and his son ran into John Wall in the hallway. The father asked Wall if he would sign an autograph for his son, who was suddenly overtaken by a fit of shyness. Wall said, “Sure,” and then bent down to face level with the awestruck little boy, stuck out his hand and said, “Hi, I’m John Wall. What’s your name?”

Here’s another. A little boy of about 5-years-old recently approached Cousins. The boy looked up and down the UK big man’s 6-foot-11 frame and finally said, “I like your socks.” Big Cuz scooped the boy up into his arms, ran his hand through the youngsters’ curly locks and said, “I like your hair.”

Small gestures to be sure. But they give us tiny glimpses of a bigger picture. And that image looks pretty good right now.

Sure, the team may eventually disappoint us. Cousins may blow a gasket and embarrass Wildcat nation. Calipari may prove himself the cheater many assume him to be. Cynicism may yet be validated.

But for now, I will give the Wildcats the benefit of the doubt. I will assume the best. And I will enjoy a wonderful moment for the state and the university.

After all, what fun is cynicism, really?

Quick Shots

This year’s NCAA Tournament gods seem intent on mocking my column last week, in which I pooh-poohed low seed teams’ chances to win in the Big Dance. Fifteen lower seeded teams won games in the first two rounds. That said I still don’t support expanding the tourney field and thus expanding the rewards of mediocrity.

The University of Kentucky showed up to the tourney with the one thing needed to make it a nightmare for every other NCAA team pursuing that elusive National Championship – an outside shooting game. In the first two games of the tournament, UK blistered the nets from behind the arc, hitting 22-of-54 3-pointers. (What happened against West Virginia?)

A chill still hangs in the air, but the Woodford County High School baseball and softball teams kicked off the 2010 season the week of March 21. That means warm weather can’t trail far behind.

Jimmy Johnson won – again. The 48 drove to victory on Bristol’s short track. I vacillate between hating Jimmy for his dominance and loving him for his excellence.

Quote of the Week

“To be honest, he’s a terrible trash talker. I mean, that was the worst job I’ve seen in my life. He just kept saying the same thing over and over. Come with a momma joke or something.” – DeMarcus Cousins on Wake Forest center Chad McFarland.

Puck to the Head

This week’s puck flies at the head of aforementioned Wake Forest center. McFarland refused to shake hands with Cousins before the Cats’ second round game against the Demon Deacons. I understand the trash talking and physical play that McFarland is known for. It’s designed to throw an opponent off and get under his skin. It’s all part of the game. But the pre-game handshake refusal crossed the line. McFarland proved he isn’t the savvy player he’d like you to think. He’s just a tall skinny jerk.

Did refs steal the game?

My March 11 SlapShots column printed in the Woodford Sun.

The players and coaches all saw it.

The fans packing McBrayer Arena on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University saw it.

And the 10,000 plus people logging onto ckysports.com to watch the game live or view the replay saw it.

The only ones who didn’t see it were the ones who count – the referees.

Trailing Henry Clay by one point, Franklin County High School senior Lyndon McKee collected the rebound off a missed trey and shoveled the ball back into the basket at the buzzer, giving the Flyers an apparent 1-point victory in the quarterfinals of the 11th Region Tournament.

The Franklin County celebration was short lived.

The three-man referee crew ruled the shot was taken after the buzzer. They waved the basket off. Henry Clay waved bye-bye.

A big red light comes on in the backboard when the clock strikes zero. It clearly illuminated after the shot hit the glass. The bucket should have counted.

Flyer fans, players and coaches went from stunned to livid in a matter of seconds.

“The referees blew the call. Franklin County won the game,” one Flyer supporter emphatically stated on Facebook.

He’s right on one count. The refs blew the call. They blew it bad. And the crew made it worse by refusing to utilize the available video replay to get the call right.

But the Flyers did not win the game.

Really, I checked.

And as egregious as the missed call was, I refuse to blame the refs for the Flyer loss. Franklin County must ultimately take responsibility for the outcome of its game.

Yes, the refs blew it. Yes, if the refs get that call right, the record would look a whole lot different. And yes, in a sense, the call yanked a win from the Flyers’ grasp.

But as my dad always used to say, “If a frog had wings, he wouldn’t bump his butt every time he hopped.”

Here’s my point. Refs mess up. We all know this. Kentucky high school officiating ranks somewhere between dismal and pathetic. But ultimately, a team must accept responsibility for its performance on the court or field. So, if you don’t want the refs to determine the outcome of a game, don’t put yourself in a position to allow the refs to determine the outcome of the game.

Franklin County put itself in that position and it got burned.

Consider this: Michael Samples missed both of his free throw attempts. He hits one, the game’s tied.

Or this: Brandon Jennels shot 0-for-9 from the field. He hits just one basket, the Flyers win.

Or even this: Henry Clay’s Wes Kimball stole the ball and hit a layup with 25 seconds to go in the game. Hold on to the ball, Flyers, and it’s you advancing to the semi-finals.

I could go on. Literally hundreds of factors work together throughout the course of a game to determine the outcome. That final call looms large because it was the final call, and it stands out in the minds of players and fans. But the officials didn’t singularly determine the game’s outcome, any more than any of the factors I just mentioned, or the hundreds that I didn’t.

And I believe another thing makes us quick to pin the loss on the backs of the refs. We live in a society that seeks first to place blame and hesitates to take responsibility. It’s a whole lot easier to play the blame game than it is to look into the mirror and admit that we didn’t quite play well enough to win.

Franklin County lost the game. Did the Flyers play well enough to win? Not quite. Did they deserve to win? No.

Franklin County put itself in a position to allow the refs to determine its destiny. Next time, don’t do that. Hit those free throws. Protect that ball. Drain those shots. Play better defense.

Because excuses don’t show up on the stat sheets.

Quick Shots
Lady Jacket Alyssa Lucas finished the season ranked fourth in the state in 3-point shooting. The Woodford County junior hit 78 threes off 203 attempts. She averaged 2.8 made treys per game. Lucas actually hit one more than Kasey Young of Danville, who holds the number three spot. But Young played two fewer games. Lucas has made 152 career threes, placing her fourth on the all time list at Woodford County High School. Brittany Henderlight holds the school record for career made threes with 216.

Lucas was Woodford County’s representative on the 11th Region All Tournament Team.

Boy, NASCAR sure did back itself into the corner. As the 2010 season kicked off, NASCAR announced that it was loosening rules on bumping and aggressive racing, hoping to inject more excitement into the sport. The rule was also widely interpreted to mean drivers had a little more leeway to police themselves on the track. Well, it sure worked. During the Kobalt Tools 500, Carl Edwards took matters into his own hands and intentionally wrecked Brad Keselowski, continuing a long running feud between the two drivers. And Keselowski deserved it. The No. 12 has left a trail of wreckage in his wake since moving up to the Sprint Cup Series. He wrecked Edwards last year at Talladega and caused a wreck that knocked the No. 99 out of most of last week’s race. But not even Edwards expected the nasty crash that occurred, with Keselowski's car flipping into the air and crashing into the fence upside down. Keselowski took exception.

“To come back and intentionally wreck someone, that's not cool -- you could have killed someone in the grandstands," Keselowski said. "It will be interesting to see how NASCAR reacts to it. They have the ball. If they're going to allow people to intentionally wreck each other at tracks this fast, we will hurt someone either in the cars or in the grandstands.”

Well, NASCAR reacted harshly. On March 9, it handed down a three-race probation. So apparently NASCAR wants to put the genie back in the bottle. In the meantime, I’ll be watching next week to see who Keselowski wrecks.

Quote of the Week
“We have so much growing up to do. I’m really worried on that front. If we’re not changing, we’re going into that big tournament where we are. And that’s worrisome to me.” – University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari.

Puck to the Head
This week’s puck flies at the head of Ben Roethlisberger. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback is being investigated for sexual assault. Again. This time the alleged assault took place at a Georgia night club. Roethlisberger has also been sued by a woman who claims he raped her at a Lake Tahoe hotel back in 2008. Really, Ben? I wouldn’t think it would be that hard for you to get a date.

The nature of a miracle

A reprint of my SlapShots column published Feb. 25 in the Woodford Sun

Monday, Feb. 22, marked the 30th anniversary of the “Miracle on Ice.” That day, the U.S. Olympic ice hockey team, made up completely of amateur college players, defeated the mighty Soviet team at Lake Placid in the 1980 Winter Games.

The day before the anniversary, the current U.S. squad pulled off a pretty big upset, beating favored Canada 5-3 in an Olympic preliminary round match-up in Vancouver.

As the Canadians seem compelled to remind us, hockey is their game. And as annoying as that statement has become, it contains some truth. The Great White North birthed the sport, and despite the inroads American and European players have made over the years, Canadians dominate the National Hockey League. Canada stacked its Olympic squad with NHL firepower and star power, and they remain heavily favored to win the gold on their home ice.

But the young, spunky American squad skated into the Olympics with a chip on its shoulder, and the Americans pulled off the upset. It’s a poignant reminder that a collection of all-stars doesn’t necessarily equal a great team.

Make no mistake – this was a huge win for the Americans. It was the first victory over a Canadian Olympic team since 1960. And it came on Canadian home ice, in an arena overflowing with a hostile crowd. On the upset scale, it was something akin to Gardner-Webb knocking off UK at Rupp.

Seriously – it can happen.

Still, some pundits have gotten a little carried away with the U.S. win.

Perhaps it’s the proximity to the anniversary. Perhaps it’s the fact that the average American instantly associates hockey with the upset of the Russians. Perhaps it represents some desire to recapture the past or generate some buzz. Whatever it is, some commentators have tried to tie the upset of Canada to the Miracle game of 1980.

Sorry – not even close.

First off, you just can’t equate one squad of NHL players beating a slightly better squad of NHL players with the history-making upset of the Soviet machine. Every player competing in last week’s game between Canada and the U.S. plays in the NHL. But that 1980 team was all amateur. Just a bunch of kids really. And the Soviets? Well yes, they were all amateur too.

*wink-wink, nudge-nudge*

In fact, that Soviet squad whipped the NHL All Star team in the months before the Olympics. They were, in essence, a professional team, and some still argue that the Soviets fielded one of the best hockey teams ever assembled.

But the thing that truly set that 1980 Olympic match-up apart from every other sporting event was its time and place. It was the rare sporting event that transcended sport. Al Michaels summed up the significance of the game in the opening moments of the TV broadcast.

“There’s a lot of people in this building who do not know the difference between a blue line and a clothesline. It’s irrelevant. It doesn’t matter because what we have, have had, is the rarest of sporting events. An event that needs no buildup, no superfluous adjectives. In a political or nationalistic sense, I’m sure this game is being viewed with varying perspectives. But manifestly it is a hockey game. The United States and the Soviet Union on a sheet of ice in Lake Placid, New York.”

Indeed, it was merely a hockey game. But for a Cold War era America desperately looking for some sense of optimism, for a reminder of her greatness, for some sign that she would prevail – the game meant much more.

And so an amazing triumph, a bunch of college kids beating the Soviet hockey juggernaut, dramatic in its own right, became something much bigger. It captured an entire country’s imagination. It united a nation. It renewed a sense of pride and hope in the United States.

And it stands as arguably the greatest sports moment in history.

As a hockey fan, I can only hope that the current U.S. squad generates half the interest as the 1980 team. But as big of an upset as the win over Canada was, it received far less attention, and as I type this, the news cycle has moved along to the next big thing.

But that 1980 game … that one lives on. It reminds us that sometimes the little guy triumphs. It reminds us of the power of “team.” And it serves to remind us that sometimes miracles happen.

Do you believe in miracles?

Quick Shots
Due to space and time constraints, I don’t normally give a lot of coverage to junior varsity squads. But the girls’ basketball JV team deserves some ink. The Jackets obliterated Paris 46-11 on Feb. 19 to end its season with a 20-1 record. The only defeat came against Franklin High, and Woodford avenged that loss in the JV District Tournament. Down 27-19 with 1:30 to go, the Jackets scored 11 straight points to pull of a 30-27 win. Shannon McClintock served as the team captain. Chelsey Ford was the leading scorer averaging 12.3 points per game. Jessica Morgan dominated inside as the leading rebounder, averaging just fewer than 10 per game. Shelby McDonald and Anastayzia Reed also started, while Hannah Worrell and Alicia Miller were the first two subs off the bench. Emily Harlow, Emma Kroger, Jamie Muth, Leah Shelton, Audrey Swindell and Bethany Walton all played on the team. Congrats girls!

Here we go again. Jimmy Johnson won another race, taking first at Fontana. It was the 48th career win for the No. 48.

Congrats to the WCHS cheerleaders for their fifth place finish at State!

Quote of the Week
“That elephant on their back just got a little heavier.” – NBC commentator on the pressure team Canada must be feeling after losing to the U.S. on its home ice.

Puck to the Head
This week’s puck flies at the head of Russian figure skater Evegni Plushenko for whining after American Evan Lysacek beat him out for the gold medal. Plushenko apparently felt entitled to the gold simply because he can do a quadruple jump. Never mind that he teetered his way though his program while Lysacek skated nearly flawlessly. “Quad is quad. If the Olympic champion doesn’t know how to jump a quad, I don’t know,” Plushenko said sniveling. “Now it’s not men’s figure skating. It’s dancing, that’s my point.”
Looks to me like ya got beat by a dancer, Plushenko
That’s my point.