It's the 'Tude, Man
April 4, 2000
7:22 a.m.
Like millions of others last night, I watched the NCAA basketball tournament. I love basketball. Always have--even if they did totally mess it up by putting the stupid three-point line and shot clock in place. The first half was interesting. Michigan State's kids were expected to win. Florida's were the upstarts. It went about as expected, but you got the feeling that the game wouldn't get serious until the first five minutes or so of the second half. It played pretty much true to form until, of course, Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State's all-american point guard suffered what appeared to be a terrible, terrible ankle injury with maybe fifteen minutes left. He hobbled off the court in pain. Mateen Cleaves was Michigan State's leader. He had told his teammates that they would win, and they had followed him this far. Mateen Cleaves would not let them lose, they said. Now he was gone. Mo Peterson, their other star, was on the bench with fouls. If any team was prepared to fold, this was it. Ten seconds later a Michigan State player drilled a three pointer. It was a statement, pure and simple. Michigan State walked onto the floor last night with an attitude. The 'tude had nothing to do with what talent was on the floor and everything to do with the name on their shirts and the set of their minds. It was there before Mo Peterson sat down. It was there before Mateen Cleaves went to the locker room. It was just hard to see amind all the "talent." But the 'tude rose up then, and it swallowed Florida's kids. They never had a chance from that moment on. And when Mateen Cleaves hobbled back out on the court, telling his teammates by his mere presence that nothing could stop them from winning, Florida's fate was sealed. Winning is not about Talent. Winning is about heart. Mateen Cleaves had no right to be on the basketball floor in the last twelve minutes of the game last night. And he did very little to physically help his team while he was there. He literally could not play. Michigan State was essentially playing 4 men on 5. Still, they stretched their lead from 9 to 20. And when the final buzzer sounded, Mateen Cleaves and the Michigan State players swamped the court. It was a glorious moment. One that holds a lesson for all of us--even a lowly writer like me.  Yeah, but I bet you can't dunk... Daily Persistence is © Ron Collins |
|
BACK TO 
|