In sports, everyone is a winner—some people just win better than others. Like people who say sound fundamentals are just as exciting as dunks. They're right....sometimes! Then again, sometimes lousy fundamentals can be exciting too.
Last night's women's regional final between Stanford and Xavier had a thrilling finish worthy of this season's men's tournament. With 4.4 seconds left in a tie game, Jeanette Pohlen of the Cardinal pulled a Tyus Edney, going the length of the court for a buzzer-beating layup that sent Stanford the Final Four. Of course, it only sent them there because just seconds earlier, Xavier's Dee Dee Jernigan got the ball wide open under the basket and missed. Twice. That's gonna hurt.
I suppose your opinion on whether these plays represent an indictment of women's basketball or a re-statement of its virtues depends on your philosophy of sports in general. Do you watch NASCAR for the the pit stops or the crashes? Do all of your pro bowling memories involve gutterballs? Is your favorite MMA fighter a submission artist or the one who just got his jaw broken? Is failure just as entertaining as success? Or will you enjoy any kind of competition, as long as it competitive?
What I'm really asking is, would you rather watch a hard-fought, though occasionally sloppy game between two of the best women's basketball teams in the country ... or the Nets? Before you answer, remember that you might have to go to Newark to see them.