Mark’s Musings – March 28, 2012
Mark Fortune
How ‘bout them Bobcats? You may have thought I would lead with the Buckeyes – and yes, they are in the Final Four thanks to a great performance against Syracuse with the opportunity to meet up with the Wildcats of Kentucky. Kansas, of course, is a rematch. I’ll take the Buckeyes in this one.
The Ohio University Bobcats were the David in a battle against basketball giant, The University of North Carolina. While the two schools both share a large enrollment, the basketball programs most assuredly pitted two contrasting programs against each other in a battle for the elite eight. And the Bobcats almost pulled it off. Each year there are contests that have a proverbial David battling a Goliath in the NCAA tournament. And that’s what makes it fun. They don’t call it “March Madness” for nothing. And for most of these schools, this is their opportunity to make a name for themselves, to compete against the best, knowing that at the end of the day, they just might prevail. And isn’t that why they do it?
Some of us enjoy rooting for the “big dog” so to speak, but Americans being what they are, and that “special something” inside us that made us who we are; the vast majority of Americans love rooting for the underdog, aka, “the little guy”, that small school that exists in the Midwest, or on the Pacific Coast, or maybe with a campus nestled in the Georgia pines. Those schools with the “play-in games” or the sixteen seed versus a one seed, for example.
After all, isn’t that the real story of America? We exist with the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press and other freedoms because a ragtag bunch of upstart Colonials with tattered pants, no shoes on their feet, old muskets, lacking food and shelter took on the biggest and baddest Army in the world. I am, of course, referring to the British Redcoats, whose army (and Navy) at the time of our Revolution was easily considered the finest in the world by any standards. Yet, by being a good strategist, courageous leader and military tactician, George Washington led the rebel Colonial Army along with several state militias, in what many military colleges consider one of the most improbable victories of all time, our victory in the Revolutionary War. Sure, the French helped out some too. You gotta give ‘em their due. Of course, our victory came at a great price. Most things worth having in this world do.
The inspiration for the above follows my just concluded reading of a two volume series on the Revolutionary War by Jeff Shaara. I highly recommend both of these novels to the history lover. Shaara’s father was a highly respected author and his son is one in his own right.
Let’s root for the Buckeyes and a National Championship. There aren’t any Cinderella’s at this ball.
Category: Mark's Musings
