Missing a Good Game

By Jim Gazzolo

America loves drama, whether it be real or made up.

Monday night we got drama, all sorts of drama.

And Americans ate it up in droves. We still are.

A total of 12.3 million of us tuned in to watch as two basketball teams put on a really good show. Too bad most of that fact was overlooked and went straight to the drama, most of which was made up by others before the first shot was ever taken.

It seems the game between Iowa and LSU proved just how divided the nation remains.

Let’s get some facts straight first. 

This game was not about good vs. evil or right vs. wrong. It was not a political statement for the winners or losers and it had nothing to do with patriotism.

The LSU women were not out for the national anthem before the game because they never were. Iowa was because that is part of their routine.

We have to quit reading more into situations because somebody else tweets it.

On that night four teams played at two different sites. Of those four teams only one, Iowa, was out for the anthem’s playing before their game. Yet few are talking about that fact.

Fans, politicians and everybody with a link to social media jumped on board and took sides. All missed the fact teams do this all the time and it is usually for nothing more than a part of their routine. 

Now we get politicians chiming in and talking about taking away scholarships for kids who were doing nothing more than going about their business. Enough.

LSU played the villains in this because LSU likes to be the villains. They talk trash but in case you missed it, so do the women from Iowa. Everybody talks trash. 

Truth be told, LSU’s players are not my cup of tea. They are brash and do seem to play the victims when they lose.

Can’t be the bully and the victim but that’s another topic. They played a great game, one that they should be very proud of. 

They are a reflection of their head coach, Kim Mulkey. She is brash, tough, demanding and outspoken. She is flashy both with her outfits and her actions. 

Yet the same people who admired those traits in Bob Knight now seem to be against Mulkey.

That’s fine, but it doesn’t make Mulkey evil just as it didn’t make Knight a hero. They are basketball coaches and both were very good at their job.

What really is missed though was how good the basketball was in that game. LSU’s Angel Reese, playing in her last college game, was tremendous, finishing with 17 points and a whopping 20 rebounds before fouling out. Iowa’s Caitlan Clark was even better, ending with 41 points and completely dominating the game. 

Two stars playing at the highest level on the biggest stage, that’s just what we should be talking about. Instead, we get mean tweets and drama. 

I feel bad for all those who let their opinions and emotions get in the way of their own enjoyment. 

And instead of criticizing and overanalyzing every move, I will just applaud the play on the court.

I’ll leave all the drama to others. 

Jim Gazzolo is a freelance writer who covers McNeese athletics. He is the host of Poke Nation on CBS-Lake Charles