Bernie Fratto

Inside the Frattohouse 

by
Bernie 
Fratto

 
Winning Respect
A tie is like kissing your sister
- Woody Hayes

In this case, Woody Hayes was wrong. Last Saturday a hockey game took place between Orchard Lake St. Marys and Marquette for the State Championship. Ironically, it got a lot of national notoriety but not much local attention.

After 8 overtimes, the scored remained 1-1, and the clock was striking midnight! After much debate, discussion and interaction among coaches, officials and MHSAA representatives, a decision was made.

For all the right reasons, both teams were named Co-Champions rather than continue. That’s what the record books will show. For 2008, both schools will host a championship trophy.

The timing of this story is curious. This week, March Madness begins and there will be some teams left out, in spite of the fact they might deserve a spot in the big dance. Their lament will be hackneyed at best. “We get no respect,” they’ll cry out… Teams always say that when they feel they are being dissed by other parts of the country. The answer is simple. If you want respect, you have to win.

Now ironically, there is some fallout from the MHSAA’s decision. While both teams got respect for their great effort, some fans would’ve rather had the outright victory, and they feel somewhat slighted.

I applaud the MHSAA for what they did. In past columns, I’ve challenged some of their policies and procedures, especially when it comes to playoff formats. High School sports are the last bastion of innocence in competitive sports. No one is being paid or compensated for their efforts, they participate for the love of the game.

For the rest of their lives the players, families, friends and fans can remember the game between Orchard Lake St. Marys and Marquette as one where there were no losers and both got respect.

If that’s not good enough, then the ultimate takeaway will be the fact that sports are once again a metaphor for life. Not all endings are the way you want them, but it’s up to you to learn from it and move forward. 

(c) 2008 Novi Information Network
www.novi.org

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Bernie Fratto is a freelance writer, radio personality, and motivational speaker.  His passion for sports comes in part from his experience as a former Cincinnati Red farm- hand.  "Behind every sports story lies the hearts and minds of real human beings" said Fratto.  "These athletic endeavors often serve as a metaphor for the game we call life."

Bernie is also on the broadcast team at Live 97.1FM talk-radio, and is a frequent co-host on the popular "Parker & The Man Show," a nightly sportstalk show which airs Monday-Friday from 7-11pm.