Is There Such Thing As Luck?!

“Shallow men believe in luck.  Strong men believe in cause and effect”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have had many discussions with people on whether or not if there is such a thing as “Luck”.  Don’t get me wrong I used to believe that luck really did exist when I was growing up, but I also believed in the Tooth Fairy & Santa Claus as well.

I strongly feel that people confuse “luck” with “chance”, and they don’t separate the two.  For instance, if someone turns around from half court and heaves the basketball towards the rim and makes it, most people would say, “that was luck!!”  I would say that they did everything correctly for the ball to go into the hoop.  Now the “chances” of that shot going in is very rare, which is where the term “luck” comes into play.

As and athlete I understand that hard work does not come easy, and those who are successful have prepared for that situation.  Michael Jordan is arguably one of the most “clutch” players in NBA history for the countless game winning shots he made in his career.  Due to the fact that he practiced those situations physically and mentally before games, the “chances” of him making the buzzer beater increase tremendously due to the preparation. 

Essentially, I argue that “luck” is a state of mind and it gives people a term to explain what just happened.  Although, there are many skeptics who still believe that there is such thing, I hope I have opened some eyes and minds to a new understanding.

What Makes Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide So Successful?

ROLL TIDE!!! It is exactly what the Crimson Tide have been doing to their competition over the past few seasons.  Nick Saban and the Alabama football team has won three championships over the past four years, and does not seem to be slowing down just yet.  Saban’s “genius” does not just take place on the field, but it is he and his staff’s diligent work off the field, that is the secret to success.

The Crimson Tide once again has the number one recruiting class for the 2013 season, as they have commits from multiple five star athletes that look to make an immediate impact on the field.  Saban has a proven method that develops great student athletes while in college, and they later produce at the professional level.  It is obvious why talented high school athletes from around the country sign with Alabama in hopes of being crowned National Champions at the end of the year.  It’s common to see a five star athlete red-shirt his first year on campus, because the talent pool of the Crimson Tide is so tremendous that he may not see any action as a true freshman.

Clearly Saban is doing something right down in Tuscaloosa that has experts wondering what is in the water down there.  Just take a look at the recruiting class over the past few seasons and it will explain the reason Alabama ranks at the top five of the National rankings every year.  The 2013 college football season will have a lot of surprises but one thing for sure is that Bama will be in the hunt for yet another National Championship at the end of the year.

Fountain of Youth

 

Tim Duncan and the veteran Spurs have had their share of playoff experience and it is very evident compared to the Grizzlies that they are being outmatched.  After having a All-Star worthy performance in the last round of the playoffs, Zach Randolph has not been as effective against the Spurs front court.  At age 37, Duncan has led his team in two consecutive overtime games to take a 3-0 advantage for the series.  After the game Timmy said that he is “just here to play basketball” and from the looks of things age really doesn’t matter to him at this point.  We will see if the Spurs can sweep the Grizz and rest their legs as they await the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals.  Lets see if Duncan can reach into his bag of tricks once again.

 

Miami Heat Game 3

After two tough games at home, the Miami Heat travel to Indiana looking to take a few games on the road.  LeBron James has played phenomenal this series and is showing why he is the league MVP.  He made a couple of questionable decisions as he passed up the ball in crunch time.  The blame can not fully be place on James, because the supporting cast of the Miami Heat have not consistently stepped up to the plate during the playoffs.  Chris Bosh has played somewhat up to par, but five rebounds in game two won’t get it done against the Pacers front court.  Also, Ray Allen has struggled from the field as he has shot a pedestrian 23% from the field and just 16% from behind the arc.  If the Miami Heat expect to win this series and advance to their third straight NBA Finals, then everyone will need to bring their A game; including Mike Miller!! Lol