Three weeks ago in Boyden gym, my intramural team and I suffered through one of the most embarrassing losses in our long-legged lives. Playing the defending Top Gun division champions with four players, we knew things wouldn’t go well. What we didn’t expect was to be pressed and lose by nearly 70 points.
I don’t think it’s physically possible for a game to get any sadder than ours was. Playing four on five – and three on five once one of our players fouled out – against players that were bigger, faster and much more ugly took its toll on us. Before the game was over, we had players jacking up shots from 40 feet away because it seemed like that was the only place we could get open with the other team’s two extra defenders. It doesn’t get much more pathetic than that. It wasn’t even really the game of basketball anymore.
One thing should be mentioned, though. Even though our team, with its tired, sloppy players and stupid, corny team name (Deathstar), had no chance from the opening tip-off, we played until the clock ran out and we walked out at least knowing we tried.
It’s too bad the same thing can’t be said for St. Bonaventure.
St. Bonaventure’s men’s basketball team decided last week to call it quits on the rest of their season after they were barred from the postseason for playing with an illegal player on their roster. With two games left in their season, the players on the team decided simply that the last two games weren’t worth the effort without a postseason.
Nevermind that the team represents an entire university. Nevermind that the move came off looking like the temper tantrum of a four-year-old.
Class and dignity be damned, St. Bonaventure made a statement.
The Bonnies threw self-respect to the wind. Instead of playing for themselves, or playing for respect, or playing for the love of the game, the Bonnies chose not to play at all.
Some inspiration story there.
Looking at the situation from the players’ point of view, rage is a reasonable reaction. The team was in the middle of a solid season with a new player, Jamil Terrell, on the squad who had been cleared to play by the university. They never saw it coming. They did nothing underhanded. Plain and simple, the university leaders failed them, making a poor decision and screwing the team over in the process for potentially years to come.
The team does deserve some sympathy. Three seniors had their careers cut unmercifully short through no fault or control of their own. The rest of the predominantly young team lost a shot to play in the Atlantic 10 tournament and gain some postseason experience. Dr. Robert J. Wickenheiser, president of St. Bonaventure University, even took the blame for clearing Terrell, saying that Terrell had been involved in no wrongdoing. He has since resigned his position under pressure from the University.
Regardless, the team walking away was senseless. By packing up their ball and going home, the Bonnies showed no heart. The team had absolutely nothing to be ashamed of in this whole mess – right up until they decided to quit.
Now the team faces a whole new complicated mess of problems. Is this it for sanctions? Possibly. The NCAA could whack the team with more sanctions if they feel that St. Bonaventure handled the situation poorly. Walking out on a season is unprecedented.
Is that really what the players on the team want? With two freshmen and six sophomores on the team, the players remaining will have to suffer through the length of any punishment that the NCAA hands down. Did they think that through before they waved the white flag, stamped their feet, and said “I don’t wanna play anymore?”
St. Bonaventure’s decision to not play the last two games of the season was one made while its emotions were running high and the team was looking for answers to how the rug could get pulled out from under them so easily. It was not thought through properly. It couldn’t have been. It’s the only possible explanation.
Why else would a team risk so much to show the world that someone hurt their feelings?
