Cashmere Thoughts

Phil was right this year. Even amidst a cloudy day in Pennsylvania where chances for a shadow were low, spring did not have an early arrival. Winter lasted those 6 extra weeks, but, with highs in the upper 70s this week in Greenville, I think it is safe to say spring is finally here.

Springtime is a great time of year. Spring means warmer weather, Easter, my birthday, summer is closer, and the very important Outdoor Track season. For Furman Elite, the start to outdoor track is under way for some and is very close for others. Although the season opener was rough (to put it lightly) for me personally, both Lee and Michael started the season strong. Even with a punch in the mouth to start things off though, there is always something positive to take away or a lesson to be learned. Muhammad Ali said it well, “Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even.”  In life, ups and downs are a guarantee. How you respond to them, however, is not. For me personally, every down day or circumstance only fuels my resolve and passion to work harder. In my mind, when something doesn’t go the way you want, you’re not working hard enough. Also, just as Albert Einstein defined insanity as “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result,” when something doesn’t go right, change needs to occur. Running is no exception.

            

Well it’s March and a blog post in March should not go without some madness. As you may or may not know, Furman Elite does have a bracket pool and it’s pretty important. With odds of 1 in 9.2 quintillion for picking a perfect bracket this year, the only thing certain is uncertainty. In the Furman Elite pool, the rankings have been pretty unstable as well. Coach Rita dominated the first rounds of the tournament, ranking in the 100^th percentile at some points (actually really impressive considering millions of people play), but has been overtaken by Coach Mickey and Cory who are now both contending for the lead. While my bracket went down with my rock chalk Jayhawks and boy Andrew Wiggins (I am actually an Alabama fan but since they just barely missed the tournament with a 13 and 20 record, I adapted and pulled for the Jayhawks), it was still better than an Ohio State all the way strategy (sorry Chad, I do respect the loyalty though). This year’s tournament has been phenomenal to watch nonetheless. There have been so many close games and surprising upsets, and the tournament isn’t even over yet. The most impressive upset in my opinion, however, was Mercer over Duke.  With Mercer joining the SoCon next year, Furman basketball will no doubt have its hands full. Not only can Mercer play, they can dance. I don’t know how many people saw that Mercer player throw down that Nae Nae at the end of the game, but it was great. Also, the rise of the SEC throughout the tournament has been fun to watch. How superior the SEC is in not only football but now clearly basketball is incredible. Alright, enough about March Madness. Hope to see y’all at Blue Shoes in two weeks!

Primetime,

Wilkerson