Day 3: A sad day in Westwood

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

The pride of Los Angeles, the greatest legacy in organized sports, the record-setting run of the UCLA Bruins was cut short today. Anticipation charged the air leading up to the match-up against Florida in the Bruin's record 17th Final Four appearance. The stage was set for vindication. Florida had sent the Bruins home second-best in the NCAA last year. Now the Bruins poised to send the Gators packing without even a chance at repeating their title. It was not to be.

"the thrill of victory… and the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition…"

There is truly a thrill of victory and agony of defeat in sports. It's an emotion quite unlike anything I've experienced off the field (or court, track, pool, etc). The taste of victory is sweeter than any nectar. For a brief moment, you're a king among men. There is nothing you cannot do, no challenge you will not overcome, no foe too great. I have even experienced a victory so perfect that my own actions seemed not so much a conscious effort but for a brief moment it seemed as though God and the angels were with me and my teammates, guiding our every movement to perfection. A sense overcame me that on that day that no one on earth could defeat us. I have also felt the sting of defeat. It truly is agony, its symptoms akin to the stages of grieving. Questions fill the mind, uncertainty in yourself and your teammates. In some cases, the feeling is so strong it causes physical distress and pain. Few things I have experienced come near to the pain of knowing you gave everything you could muster into the effort of competing and knowing that on that day it simply was not enough.

There are few competitions on the planet that capture this better than the NCAA Basketball Tournament. As I watched the Bruins fight valiantly to the wire in a losing effort, I agonized with them. All my own experiences in various sports seemed to rush together at once and form in me such a great empathy for the UCLA players and coaches. They got the team they wanted, took their shot, and came up short. But they are a young team, and the experiences of losing in such a large arena will ultimately be good for them.

There is something worse in life than never learning how to win. It is never learning how to lose. In this life, we will never be victorious in everything that we do. We will experience loss, we will experience hard times, and it is how we handle ourselves in these moments, how we react in defeat, that truly demonstrates our character and maturity. Most people can be strong in victory, it requires very little character and personal strength when your environment affirms you. I've met very few people who were strong in defeat and loss. The real test in life is how we handle ourselves when we experience "the agony of defeat".

One interesting side-note as I close is that on Monday night Florida will play Ohio State for the NCAA Basketball National Championship. Just a few months ago, the Florida football team defeated the Ohio State football team in the Football National Championship. In that game, the Gators were the underdog to the Buckeyes. On Monday, the Buckeyes will be a decided underdog against the Gators. Will the underdog be victorious once again? No school has ever won the Basketball and Football championships in the same academic year. Florida has as good a shot as anyone I've ever seen. Will they make history? I don't know, but you can be sure I'll be watching to find out.