March Madness- More than just basketball…
Since 1939, the college basketball tournament has dominated March sports news. The competition now begins with 68 teams invited to the dance, that soon become the official first round of 64… then 32… then the Sweet 16… the Elite 8… the Final 4… the Top 2… and finally on April 7th a champion will be crowned. March Madness captures the attention of even those of us who are rather lack-luster basketball fans. Each year, I look forward to the Cinderella story- the little team, overlooked, from a program that is underfunded, that no one expected to be able to compete on the big stage. I love to cheer on Cinderella, hoping that team will be able to upset some powerhouse who always get a seat at the table. Many of us like to root on the little guy because we see our face in theirs. But this year, there are no Cinderella stories…
There was one surprise early in the tournament when #12 McNeese State (from Lake Charles, Louisianna) beat #5 Clemson. That game caught my attention because one of our Lenape Valley college students proudly wears the garish Tiger orange of Clemson. That game caught the nation’s attention because of the McNeese student who stands on their sidelines. The student manager for the Cowboys creates an electric ‘vibe’ as the team comes on the court, with an oversized boombox on his shoulder, flashing lights and blaring music to hype the whole arena. Amir Khanaka “Aura”- has won more endorsement deals than any of the players on their team- Buffalo Wild Wings and Insomnia Cookies just to name a few. Sadly, McNeese state and their flashy manager found their bid for the championship cut short by Purdue in the second round. No more flashy Cinderella…
The March Madness tournament is like life… awarding some, ignoring others… often capricious in the invitation, leaving teams like Ohio State and Boise State frustrated to be left out this year. Those of us who cheer for Penn State never expect a tournament nod. We had a chance in 2020- our guys were shooting like never before. Night after night, the Bryce Jordan Center was filled with adoring crowds, excited that finally we had a team who could share in the madness of March. But then COVID shut down the season, and we have never been able to put together a decent team since. Those who make it to March find that the tournament is rather unforgiving, one and done. One bad game, one off night, one competition against a team who is hot when you are not, and you will find your team out, watching the world of basketball moving on without you. That’s why I love the Cinderella story- the team who can beat the odds gives all of us hope that maybe we might have our own moment.
While there was no Cinderella this year, a good David and Goliath story did play out on a different court. The NCAA Wresting Championships happened this past weekend at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. No surprise, Penn State University won the tournament. The Nittany Lions have won 12 of the last 15 NCAA championships under head coach Cael Sanderson. The David story came out of Oklahoma State. Their heavyweight wrestler, Wyatt Hendrickson, found himself in the final match competing against the reigning Olympic gold medalist, and two-time NCAA champion from Minnesota- Gabe Steveson. On the wrestling mat, there was no one better than Steveson, until Saturday. In what commentators have dubbed the “biggest upset in NCAA history,” Hendrickson stunned the heavyweight champion with a takedown in the final seconds of the match, winning 5-4. I love when David beats Goliath. Like a good Cinderella story, those moments give us common folks hope for our chances in the world.
Watching sports reminds us that every story has a power play. Consider Disney’s mean stepmother, Ursala the sea witch, and Gaston the bully. During Lent, Christians read again the power plays of Pilate and Herod, urged on by raucous crowds wanting blood and religious leaders trying to maintain the status quo. Every year we are reminded that none of us can escape the power players in our daily reality. We read those Bible stories, and we see ourselves in those ancient power plays. We know the truth, none of us can escape the games of power being played around us. So, we are left to choose the champion that we will cheer for, hoping that their power moves will benefit us.
Who wields the power today? What will they do with the power they hold? Will greed or philanthropy move and shape that power? Who will benefit and who will pay the cost? What champion will we cheer for? Who will be forgotten? In a world where Goliath seems to be winning, and the Cinderellas of our day have no fairy godmother to help them find welcome at the ball, many of us are just hoping to survive. We have been promised that we will benefit from the power plays happening right now, but most of us just hope we will not be swept up in the chaos, while some of us are grieving for those who are already paying the price.
If we are looking for a champion in the tournament playing out in our news feed each day, we are fools to look to our politicians. They are too busy playing the game to notice those of us on the sidelines. I would love to get a boom box with flashing lights like the manager of McNeese State to catch their attention and perhaps win their hearts on behalf of the little guys all around me, but I have nothing that could change the ‘vibe’ of the day. However, I do know a Champion who is greater than the chaos. The apostle John tells us that even darkness cannot overcome His light. The victory He brings is not over political systems, but over fear and anger. He brings life and light even into a moment where Goliath seems to rule the day. Won’t Goliath be surprised at the end of the game that there is only one Champion? And He won the game a long time ago. I’m on my knees today, boldly declaring that I am on team Jesus. I will wear His colors and play the game by His rules no matter the cost.
With you on the Savior’s team,
Anita
There was one surprise early in the tournament when #12 McNeese State (from Lake Charles, Louisianna) beat #5 Clemson. That game caught my attention because one of our Lenape Valley college students proudly wears the garish Tiger orange of Clemson. That game caught the nation’s attention because of the McNeese student who stands on their sidelines. The student manager for the Cowboys creates an electric ‘vibe’ as the team comes on the court, with an oversized boombox on his shoulder, flashing lights and blaring music to hype the whole arena. Amir Khanaka “Aura”- has won more endorsement deals than any of the players on their team- Buffalo Wild Wings and Insomnia Cookies just to name a few. Sadly, McNeese state and their flashy manager found their bid for the championship cut short by Purdue in the second round. No more flashy Cinderella…
The March Madness tournament is like life… awarding some, ignoring others… often capricious in the invitation, leaving teams like Ohio State and Boise State frustrated to be left out this year. Those of us who cheer for Penn State never expect a tournament nod. We had a chance in 2020- our guys were shooting like never before. Night after night, the Bryce Jordan Center was filled with adoring crowds, excited that finally we had a team who could share in the madness of March. But then COVID shut down the season, and we have never been able to put together a decent team since. Those who make it to March find that the tournament is rather unforgiving, one and done. One bad game, one off night, one competition against a team who is hot when you are not, and you will find your team out, watching the world of basketball moving on without you. That’s why I love the Cinderella story- the team who can beat the odds gives all of us hope that maybe we might have our own moment.
While there was no Cinderella this year, a good David and Goliath story did play out on a different court. The NCAA Wresting Championships happened this past weekend at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. No surprise, Penn State University won the tournament. The Nittany Lions have won 12 of the last 15 NCAA championships under head coach Cael Sanderson. The David story came out of Oklahoma State. Their heavyweight wrestler, Wyatt Hendrickson, found himself in the final match competing against the reigning Olympic gold medalist, and two-time NCAA champion from Minnesota- Gabe Steveson. On the wrestling mat, there was no one better than Steveson, until Saturday. In what commentators have dubbed the “biggest upset in NCAA history,” Hendrickson stunned the heavyweight champion with a takedown in the final seconds of the match, winning 5-4. I love when David beats Goliath. Like a good Cinderella story, those moments give us common folks hope for our chances in the world.
Watching sports reminds us that every story has a power play. Consider Disney’s mean stepmother, Ursala the sea witch, and Gaston the bully. During Lent, Christians read again the power plays of Pilate and Herod, urged on by raucous crowds wanting blood and religious leaders trying to maintain the status quo. Every year we are reminded that none of us can escape the power players in our daily reality. We read those Bible stories, and we see ourselves in those ancient power plays. We know the truth, none of us can escape the games of power being played around us. So, we are left to choose the champion that we will cheer for, hoping that their power moves will benefit us.
Who wields the power today? What will they do with the power they hold? Will greed or philanthropy move and shape that power? Who will benefit and who will pay the cost? What champion will we cheer for? Who will be forgotten? In a world where Goliath seems to be winning, and the Cinderellas of our day have no fairy godmother to help them find welcome at the ball, many of us are just hoping to survive. We have been promised that we will benefit from the power plays happening right now, but most of us just hope we will not be swept up in the chaos, while some of us are grieving for those who are already paying the price.
If we are looking for a champion in the tournament playing out in our news feed each day, we are fools to look to our politicians. They are too busy playing the game to notice those of us on the sidelines. I would love to get a boom box with flashing lights like the manager of McNeese State to catch their attention and perhaps win their hearts on behalf of the little guys all around me, but I have nothing that could change the ‘vibe’ of the day. However, I do know a Champion who is greater than the chaos. The apostle John tells us that even darkness cannot overcome His light. The victory He brings is not over political systems, but over fear and anger. He brings life and light even into a moment where Goliath seems to rule the day. Won’t Goliath be surprised at the end of the game that there is only one Champion? And He won the game a long time ago. I’m on my knees today, boldly declaring that I am on team Jesus. I will wear His colors and play the game by His rules no matter the cost.
With you on the Savior’s team,
Anita
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