Keeping Score

March Madness

by Gene | March 7, 2008

This weekend will determine if we continue our season, or if we get ready for next year. I got a text message at the beginning of the week from last year’s head manager that wrapped up what this time of year is all about “It’s a one game season.” This is what “March Madness” is all about; just one game season followed my more or none depending on how you do. If you win, you get another season; if you lose, you go home and get ready for next season. We won our first season by beating Florida Tech in double overtime, led by Chris Hall’s historic performance of 42 points. This weekend we get a second, against Florida Southern in the Semi-finals of the conference tournament. We are going in with the attitude that we will get a third, and then another in the NCAA Tournament. We packed with that attitude too. If you go in with any other attitude, your season will be over.

This can be translated into any other field as well, not just sports. In business, if you don’t think you can sell something, you won’t. In relationships, if you don’t think it will last, it won’t. Things don’t just happen, you have to make them happen, and you attitude has a lot to do with it.

I was reading the most recent issue of Sports Illustrated and was reading an article about University of North Carolina’s Tyler Hansbrough. Last year in their last regular season game against their archrival Duke University, he was on the receiving end of a very physical flagrant foul and had his nose broken. 30 minutes later he wanted his picture taken, with cotton swabs in his nose and his jersey all bloody so people would know how physical the game is. His coach, Roy Williams, said that Tyler is not the most talented or athletic player that he has ever coached, but he is one of the best because of he plays every second like it will be his last. This is one reason why North Carolina will go very deep into the NCAA Tournament. He said that his reasoning for playing like he does was watching his brother Greg’s resilience and learning to walk all over again, after having a tumor removed.