Have We Settled for The "Nice Try" Sydrome

Thursday night the energy was mega-wattage... 

The Rough Riders were loud and out in force trying to recoup from season long no shows...

The B&B mob (Baseball & Band) made another statement.  Heckling the Zags into 64% FT shooting.

Fans and Season Ticket Holders filled up the chairbacks and were "all in" with support.

More SCU Staff came to check out the marquee WCC match-up.  

Our guys were tough, pesky, and played HARD.

For the Zags, just another ho-hum night...Sellout crowd, check.

Lots of "fan-tagonists".  Check.  Workman-like win, shoot 70%. Check. 

It was a great night for SCU and the team to feel the love...

But something happened while leaving...  Something, that to me was bigger, more pervasive, and that leaves me U-P-S-E-T!

It was, how WE, as a University, fans, and program just seemed to "accept" our fate so "graciously" as we left Leavey.

If I hear another "well, we played 'em tough the first half" or "at least it was a close game" or "you can't expect to beat # 2 in the nation", I'm gonna scream!  

I'll call it the "nice try" syndrome.  Have we resorted to believing that our expectations of the best we can be is "nice try" or good game?  Do you think Jared or Brandon or any of our guys in the locker room after the game were in "nice try" mode?

NO, they were measuring, replaying, and internalizing the experiences.  They were figuring out how to cut & paste the first half recipe into the second half for the next meeting.

I'm not saying anyone is waving the white flag; we're not.  

But, can we just get an "attitude" of "we're coming for you" - or how about "We're on a Mission"?   How about all us, from the University leadership to the team managers, do what it takes to get us to the intersection where talent, experience, drive, and execution takes SCU to the next level.

I know Gonzaga is better - now.  But they can and will be beaten and I'm saying - why NOT us?

So what I'd like to hear after games, whether we win, lose, or were awful, is that we know where we want to go - Higher.  

No more "nice try".  But, "we showed we can play with them in the first half" or talk about Jared's stunning 3 pointer at the end of the first half to take the lead - or when our bigs are healthy - we're ready to make a run.

Getting more competitive isn't playing edgier videos at games - it starts with an attitude, resolve, and execution from top to bottom.  

Maybe it's a dream....But a dream we all want to wake up to...

For more Men's basketball info follow me on Twitter @Fcrary.