NCAA
I know
why the NCAA basketball tournament is called March Madness. It’s because it
really upsets me. In other words, I am teed off. Why? Thanks, for asking. With
64 teams to watch – at least at the beginning – it’s really a trial for a
basketball junkie like me, who has been watching (and playing) hoops since
1950.
So what’s your
problem, big fella?
I am sick of
showboating. If I see one more 9-foot
center scream after jumping one inch to
dunk a ball, I am going to scr…, I mean, switch channels. Let me count the ways showboating occurs:
1.
Doubling fists and screaming after some mundane
play.
2.
Bumping chests with half of your team and
sometimes even the opponents.
3.
Grinning and wagging an index finger and
shouting, “We’re No. 1.”
4.
Sweeping downcourt like an airplane after an
unchallenged slam dunk.
5.
Blowing on your index finger like you’re a hot
gunslinger after making an uncontested 3-pointer.
6.
Bashing forearms – for five minutes.
7.
Gesturing wildly and rolling your eyes at a ref
after you foul practically chop off a guy’s arm trying to steal the ball.
8.
The entire five guys on the floor lining up and
kicking their legs like a chorus line. (I only saw this once.)
9.
Swaggering and making eyes following your third
three-pointer – of the season.
10.
A player victoriously paddling another on the
rear all the way to the bench while pointing at the other team, following a standard assist.
11.
Pulling out your jersey and pounding your chest.
12.
Finally, my favorite actually involves the fans.
The entire college student body stands up and jumps up and down like pogo
sticks almost the entire game. Imagine how lucky you are to sit beside them and
try to watch the game or even better, behind them.
What’s sports
coming to ? This does not only occur in college and professional games, but
also on the kids’ biddy teams What
happened to the days when we taught kids sportsmanship and cool. You imagine if
Wilt Chamberlin screamed or taunted the opposition every time he pulled down a
rebound, blocked a shot or made a basket? He’d be worn out in the first five
minutes.
The reason we old
guys didn’t jump up and down and scream all over the court following a basket
is not because we were not enjoying
ourselves or were not proud of our accomplishments. The reason was one word: respect. Respect for our opponents, respect for
ourselves and respect for the game.
Why do you want to
put down the other team? That’s what you are doing. What kind of game would you
have without opponents? Do you see Tim
Duncan or Steve Nash screaming and jumping up and down? Hearty well done is about the most you get
out of them. They expect to play well.
The game is meant to be played for fun, competition - and
respect.
I would suggest that
you or any player watch on You Tube the 6o-foot shot that Jerry West made in
the 1970 finals against the New York Knicks. If there had been a 3-point shot,
it would have won the game, but it tied it with no time on the clock. Now that
was worthy of a celebration, but what did Jerry do? He looked up at the
scoreboard as he walked off the floor with somebody wringing his hand another
throwing an arm around his shoulders. He
had done it before.
Mr. Cool. Respect
all around.
Don Lechman, a former Daily Breeze reporter,
critic and editor, teaches writing at Harbor College in Wilmington.