In sports, expect nothing
By Gabe Taylor
Ever morning at the sound of my alarm clock, I open my eyes and stare directly at a photo of a passionate Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Tracy McGrady on an Adidas poster that reads: Impossible is nothing.
It is a common belief that as we age, our imagination gradually fades. We jump into reality and with it we are swept into the fast paced world; our minds no longer have time to think about what is considered impossible.
One aspect of youth, however, will always remain for us sports fans.
Sports provide us with the opportunity to step outside of what is thought to be possible as every sports season seems to leave us with moments that we would originally deem impossible.
Just this year, sports have taken us on a thrill-ride of events.
The University of Connecticut women's basketball team pulled off a remarkable feat, recording a perfect record in back-to-back seasons and earning them two national titles in a row.
In the NBA, Sundiata Gaines, a D-League player who signed a 10-day contract with the Utah Jazz, stunned the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 3-point buzzer beater. The shot landed him a spot on the Jazz that he still holds to this day.
These are the kinds of stories that tend to materialize every year even though they are entirely unexpected. These events are accompanied by feelings of shock as we witness what we never thought possible.
When Ohio State guard Evan Turner sprinted up court with 2.2 seconds remaining, down two against the University of Michigan in the Big Ten Championship, the fat lady was already singing in my ear. But in those final 2.2 seconds, my premature doubt fell victim to a 37-foot jumper that sank right into the basket. I was shocked; I was amazed. And most of all, I realized that with sports, you can never rule anything out.
Although we tend to see sports in a good light when the "impossible" occurs, they unfortunately fail to always maintain this innocence.
This was made apparent to the world when it surfaced that Tiger Woods was involved in numerous affairs and admitted to being a sex addict. In a quick response, Woods returned to compete at the Masters and finished tied for fourth.
Once again, the public faced another "unbelievable" story in the sports realm.
But whether it's Gaines' once in a lifetime shot or Tiger struggling to be faithful, the truth remains that sports teach us not to settle for the expected, because when it comes down to it, the possibilities are endless.