The Sports Doctor Prescribes Advice for All Athletes
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by user AWeiner18
Out of all the insignificant pickup games I have played, I will always hold one regret: not picking the dork.
I decided not to pick him because his black thick glasses were too large, his high white socks were too high, and his blue tight overalls were too blue. I wish I had taken the time to notice that behind his dorky image, he had a heart that was determined to win the game, no matter how good or bad the player was. Never would I have guessed that player was the best player out of all the kids I played with.
George Mason University was that dork—minus the black thick glasses, high white socks, and blue tight overalls.
Not many people in this country took the time to research the team when making their 2006 NCAA March Madness selections. Not many people would have guessed that George Mason would play like the best team in the nation—beating powerhouses Michigan State, North Carolina, and Connecticut. Instead, the majority assumed that this twelve-man team would instantly lose because their "dorky" conference—the Colonial Athletic Association—is not as cool compared to the Big Ten/Big East/Big 12/Pac-10/SEC/ACC.
George Mason prevailed because of the most important body function in all of sports: the heart.
The heart controls three important components that make or break an individual: the body, the mind, and the soul. A heart can be your best friend—it can help you live for many years, keep you focused in a situation that is overwhelming, and keep your confidence level high—by creating a positive soul. A heart can also be your worst enemy—it can take your life away earlier than expected, can make you nervous in a situation that is overwhelming, and can lower your confidence level—by creating a soul that will end up hurting yourself.
The twelve players who were part of the 2006 George Mason Patriots had only one best friend on the basketball court—their heart—because it told the players that they could achieve no matter what their current image might be.
Here is my prognosis for all athletes: if the George Mason Patriots can win because they used their hearts in a positive way, then teams such as the Lions and Red Wings can win as well.
If the coaching staff and top surgeon, Lions head coach Rod Marinelli, can teach their players how to use their excessive amount of talent the right way, every individual who wanted a heart transplant to cut out the pain from previous years could remove their names from the list—but only if the staff leads them in the right direction.
Hopefully, Mike Babcock's surgery is reaching its final stages. With the recent acquisitions of bad-boy Todd Bertuzzi and a young forward in Kyle Carder, the Wings have the right pieces to overcome their ongoing surgery since 2002 to win the Stanley Cup. All Babcock has to do is use his top players wisely—specifically Dominick Hasek, Pavel Datsuk, and Henrik Zetterberg—and keep them fresh for the playoffs.
Even though the Wings have to fight off evil diseases (Dallas, Anaheim, Nashville, and Vancouver) they can certainly survive with their playoff experience and veteran leadership.
Just like the Pistons.
Now that surgeon Flip Saunders is almost completely recovering from the Ben Wallace epidemic, all he needs to do is let his best patient, Chauncey Billups, do what he needs to do—provide not only great statistics but phenomenal leadership. Throughout his residency in Detroit, Billups—with the help of Wallace—put the heart back into the Pistons.
All Billups needs to do is listen to his surgeon's instructions and bring back the soul to Detroit.
If Saunders, Babcock, and Marinelli need to turn to a professional surgeon, then they should immediately schedule a doctor's appointment with Tigers' manager Jim Leyland. Leyland successfully performed the best surgery in baseball—the Tigers not only received a heart transplant, they received a soul—the chemistry, the motivation, and the work ethic to achieve.
The Tigers last year is also like my dorky basketball opponent with overalls; not many picked them to succeed because of their awful image (regular season standings) in Major League Baseball. They can be compared to the Patriots because no one gave them a chance.
With the help of their wise head coach, the Tigers beat all the critics and successfully recovered.
Every team needs that one coach who can provide each athlete a heart transplant—if it is necessary.
For George Mason it was Jim Larranaga.
For the Tigers it was Jim Leyland.
Rod Marinelli, Mike Babcock, and Flip Saunders have the potential to join this prestigious list of successful surgeons despite their current image—if they give their respective teams the appropriate hearts.
