The lights said the Cougars had just beaten Wisconsin-Milwaukee That is adversity. With a national championship in sight, the Cougars walked away.
To advance meant they would have to play Sunday. Perhaps you know them as Mormons. By any name, what they did is almost unheard of these days. Imagine Kentucky forfeiting a chance to make the Final Four. Or is there a difference in Kentucky? In that movie, Scotsman Eric Liddell refused to run in the meters in the Olympics because it fell on a Sunday.
Instead of running his specialty, the devout Christian started training for the meters. Newspapers called Liddell a traitor to his country.
He persevered and won a gold medal. Sandy Koufax triggered a national debate when he attended a synagogue instead of pitching Game 1 of the World Series. There have been other conscientious objectors to Sabbath play. This may be the first time an entire team has stood up by walking away. And unlike Liddell and Koufax, the Cougars were blindsided into this predicament. To save money, the Cougars arranged to stay with local Mormon families. She sounded slightly irritated, which was something of a relief.
The Cougars were so magnanimous about their predicament it was almost enough to make me look into becoming a Mormon. Liddell not only won a gold medal, he became a missionary to China and died a hero in a Japanese prison camp. Being true to yourself is a reward far more valuable than a trophy. College sports are built on compromise, from hiring shady coaches to recruiting Dumbo students. Judging from the grass, dirt and sweat covering their white uniforms Saturday, the Cougars certainly worked as hard for their goal.
