Sunday, June 8, 2008

SUNDAY SOAPBOX: Refuse to Lose!

I had the Eatin' Crow version of this post already typed and ready by the end of the 6th.

I had stopped listening to Jim Hawthorne and Charles Hannigriff and was downstairs chatting with my wife and admiring our new baby girl.

When she asked me what was wrong, I said - "LSU's about to lose."

Oh, me of little faith! I am ashamed.

Luckily, I had enough sense to catch the last three innings. Holy shit. In the words of my new favorite relief pitcher, Mr. Louis Coleman, the Tigers "refuse to lose." I guess that's their new locker room slogan. Me likey.

And here's the thing about it. UCI is a very good baseball team. I admit it. And I was ready to eat my crow, feathers and all. But UCI had some good luck, and LSU had some bad luck, and luck, being fickle, changes. And when opportunity knocked, the Tigers were prepared to kick the friggin' door down - because they Refuse To Lose!

Jared Mitchell said, in a Rivals ($$) article by Brian Lazarre, that he had chills in the ninth inning. He wasn't the only one. As soon as the bases were loaded up with noone out, I just knew it was only a matter of time.

As for UCI's pitching - it is very good. But so is LSU. Whose bullpen was better today? Clearly, LSU's was superior - today. And if the Tigers can stay close or slightly ahead of the 'Eaters tomorrow night through six innings, then I have high confidence that LSU's offense will come through in the late innings and LSU's bullpen will seal the deal again tomorrow.

I feel about this baseball team the way I feel about last year's football team. Regardless of how the season ends, I will always remember these two teams as having unusually great chemistry and will to win.

They simply Refuse to Lose!

People who Refuse to Lose are called - WINNERS!

2 comments:

  1. I cheated some. I intentionally got behind (I have dvr) so I could fast forward through the ads. Well, I used that to fast forward through a couple innings of UCI's at bats. I was bummed in the middle of the game. I barely had the energy to drink my beer, but I persevered. It was worth hanging around for.

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  2. LSU needs to learn to run the bases. I can't count how many times they've killed themselves in this series with bonehead plays. That could well be the biggest reason this thing has gone the way it has. Because LSU is the much better team.

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