Gotta love those Dawgs! Over the last few years I pretty well lost interest in basketball. I'm not much of a fan of the "run and gun" style, the hip-hop gangsta culture of the NBA, the arrogant individualist tatted out to the max, etc. I missed the old IU style of ball -- kids from Indiana who weren't the best athletes but squeezed every ounce of potential out of themselves by playing smart and systematically. That's what Butler is doing! Ten of the team members are from Indiana. (I know some the key player aren't, but they play like Hoosiers.)The Butler boys are attending their classes. Even on Friday, the day before their biggest game ever, Coach Stevens says the kids will be tranported from downtown to attend classes. [I bet Kentucky would have done that also.]
There is a lot of talk about the Butler Way. What is it?
The Butler Way demands commitment, denies selfishness and accepts reality, yet seeks constant improvement while promoting the good of the team above self.
The five principles as posted in the Men's Basketball locker-room are as follows:
1. Humility - know who we are, strengths and weaknesses
2. Passion - do not be lukewarm, commit to excellence
3. Unity - do not divide our house, team first
4. Servanthood - make teammates better, lead by giving
5. Thankfulness - learn from every circumstance
Barry Collier the athletic director seems to have reached way back to Coach Hinkle to restore this Way. The football program, of which Lester has been a part for 4 years, has totally turned around; worst to first.
All this is really neat to see. Biblical priciples applied to athletics; they work wherever they are applied.
Did you know that Butler started out as Christian college? In fact it was a Church of Christ school. You can still see some signs of it when you visit the campus. The admissions building is the old chapel. Slowly they drifted from their roots, and in the late 50s they spun off Christian Theological Seminary, which is right next to Butler's campus. Butler ended up in the hands of the Disciples of Christ, our Church of Christ cousins.
The Butler Way. I love it!
Here's neat article by Kravitz, tying the movie Hoosiers to Butler through one man. True story.
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Kedra heard from Lester this afternoon. He is helping with Butler spring football, so he was in the football office, which is located in Hinkle Fieldhouse.
In the hall he ran into Gene Keady, Purdue's former basketball coach. For those who know him or what he looks like, Lester said he looks even worse in person (ha ha)! Keady spoke to Lester, and Lester spoke back. Later Lester saw Purdue's present coach, Matt Painter. Evidently there is some kind of high school basketball thing going on in Hinkle.
I'm guessing that soon there will be all kinds of famous folks wandering around Indy and Hinkle.
I took a midday break today and went for a 10 mile run with Tim S. I want to try get acclimated to the heat before the marathon, in case it is hot that day. Heat really hurt me in the Monumental Marathon.
While Tim and I were running we looked up and saw Jim Sowders waiting for us. He was in his SUV and had ice cold water for us. That was very nice of him! He is a super good guy.
HERE is a neat article about Gordon Hayward.
And another one.
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