November 4,2005 | The Clarion
Extra Time with Adam:
Sports
Page 11
The anguish in losing
by; Adam Beeson
Managing Editor
"Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so
is losing.” The one and only Vince
Lombardi said that years ago. Sadly
Vince, I’m beginning to think that you’re
right.
The men’s soccer season wrapped
up last weekend with a disappointing 0-6
loss to Virginia Intermont College in the
first round of the AAC tournament, lead
ing our disheartened team to another los
ing record, this time: 5-9-3. For all of you
whom 1 promised a conference champi
onship to in August, I mournfully apolo
gize. 1 was wrong.
But so what? We lost. Does that
make us losers? It has come to my atten
tion, after three unsettling seasons at
Brevard, that losing comes with the terri
tory of college athletics. Some teams find
ways to avoid this dreaded territory, but
most teams don’t.
We are not losers.
However, fellow athletes, as our ath
letic department expands into a bigger di
vision with better competition, the pres
sure to win will undoubtedly increase. We
must begin to prove that Brevard College
does not produce losing programs. If, for
nothing else, the pure joy of winning.
To quote author Pat Conroy, “there is
no downside to winning. It feels forever
fabulous.” Example; the 2004/2005 Brevard
College Lady Tornadoes basketball team.
Now that was a team that knew how to win.
And until that 20 game winning streak came
crashing down with an unfortunate loss
last winter, 1 can almost guarantee those
players felt no anguish and, more impor
tantly, made the school proud to house
such a program.
But how do we maintain that level?
This, my friends, is a question that may
never be answered. However, there is at
least one obvious step that should be taken
to help the school move in the right direc
tion.
Brevard College athletes need support
from fellow students. It is extremely diffi
cult to find the much needed inspiration to
win while playing in front of a crowd of
seven. As winter approaches, it would be
nice to rid the apathy and produce some
interest in the basketball season. Then,
carry that energy over into the spring and
maybe the school will begin to see more
positive results.
1 know that I’m not alone when 1 say
that I hate losing. But remembering how to
win is, regrettably, becoming a faded
memory. And if this commentary isn’t
enough to spark a change, just think about
what George Brett said in 1986 after the
Royals took an appalling beating;
“If a tie is like kissing your sister, los
ing is like kissing you grandmother with
her teeth out.”
BC basketball ready for season tipoff
by Adam Beeson
IVIanaging Editor
With the end of the fall sports season
rapidly approaching, it’s time we turn our
attention to winter sports. And winter in
Brevard means one thing; basketball.
The men’s basketball team looks to
outshine last year’s Appalachian Athletic
Conference (AAC) record of 16-6, a sec
ond place finish, by working together to
achieve the ultimate team goal, a confer
ence championship. But the task won’t
come easy.
The Tornadoes are returning nine play
ers, after losing seven from last year’s side.
Of these nine returnees, one was a regular
starter last season. This, with the addition
of three freshman recruits and one red shirt,
"'ill complete the men’s team. Key return
ees for the Tornadoes include seniors
Rashad Mosely and Jared Ramsey. Sopho
more Thomas Moore returns this year to
the Tornadoes’ backcourt, with the help
0 sophomore Jeff Carbun, after red shirt
ing last season due to a hamstring injury.
“1 believe this season will be different
from any season since 1 have been here
because we have four new starters and we
only have three players with significant
playing time,” Moore said. “However, our
goals as a team don’t change. We still want
to win the conference and end our season
in Missouri (at the national tournament) in
March.”
The Tornadoes were given a pre-sea
son ranking of sixth in the AAC poll, be
hind conference rivals Union, Tennessee
Wesleyan, Bryan, Bluefield, ^d Montreal
College. “Expectations by others is prob
ably low because of the key losses of play
ers,” Moore said. “But we know what were
capable of and that’s all were worried about
is the twelve individuals that have Brevard
on their jerseys.”
The men’s season opens at home
against Embry-Riddle University on Nov.
5 at 5;30 p.m. , ^ .
The Lady Tornadoes look to defend
their 2004-2005 regular season conference
championship record of 21-1 with *e ad
dition of new head coach Bill Wilson. Wil
son, former head coach of Upper Iowa
University where he set the school record
for most wins (99) and was named coach
of the year by both the Iowa Intercolle
giate Athletic Conference and the
Women’s Basketball Coaches Association,
will rely on the team’s four returnees for
leadership and support.
“The success the Lady Tornados
experienced in recent years has created
what every college team “
strong foundation, a tradition, Wilson
said “One of the ingredients to tradition is
championships and that is what we wi
strive for every day on the basketball
rt ”
The Lady Tornadoes were ranked
ninth in the AAC pre-season polL The.r
season tips off on Nov. 4 at the BP Classic
in Mt, Vernon, Georgia at 2;00 p.m. The
home opener for the Lady Tornadoes s
Nov. 15 against conference rival Bluefield
College at 5;30 p.m.