Tonner’s World: March 23

Posted by admin on Mar 29, 2011 in Sports | 0 comments

Heralded Talladega folk legend Ricky Bobby has been highly credited for his contributions to athletic and competitive literature, coining infectious phrases like “if you ain’t first your last” and “here’s the deal, I’m the best there is. Plain and simple. I wake up in the morning and I pee excellence.” He’s had his arm broken for no reason other than to not give a foreign advisory the satisfaction of hearing from his passionately American lips that he enjoyed thin French pancakes, and Ricky made the undisputed greatest comeback in sport history. However highly touted Ricky’s athletic career was, including his wisdom in the field of motivating quotes, I can’t help but think Ricky’s got a few things wrong.

Even though our men’s basketball team came second this year at nationals and failed to reach our goal, I can’t help but feel satisfaction in the accomplishments of our team this year. The country was outraged when only a year ago how we failed to make the playoffs and by the next season, were ranked eighth in the country. Even the Spartan Faithful had to have their doubts, especially in the second week of the regular season when we lost two convincing games to west coast rival UBC. However, just after those two losses we went on a 15-0 run, including a double digit win over the University of Saskatchewan. Then we had the playoffs when doubters of our team’s potential again were well fed by a one point devastating loss to UFV, and blogs across the country were again satisfied to be writing Spartan eulogies, but we kept going. Then we hit Canada West, lost on a heartbreaking shot at the buzzer to Saskatchewan and came third in Canada West. Then, as you know, a solemn Sunday followed our playoff weekend where our whole team waited in anticipation as to whether we would get our bid to nationals and we made it.

It was the first time a Spartans basketball team had ever made it. We won our first game pretty handily and then followed it by the greatest win in Spartans basketball history with a two point win over UBC in the semi-final. Even though we fell short in the final and the great careers of our fifth year players came to relatively sour end, I can’t help but feel that indeed Ricky was wrong. We certainly didn’t feel like we came last or even second. The most painful part about that night was the all too fresh nostalgia of past experiences with my team and particularly our fifth years that likely won’t be the same ever again.

Thanks for all your support this year Spartan faithful, I hope we did you proud because we definately feel that way about our efforts.