Stu Cowan: Thrill of victory and agony of defeat make sports activities nice

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Was the Canadiens’ season a failure as a result of they didn’t make the playoffs?

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Was the Boston Bruins’ season a failure as a result of they have been eradicated within the first spherical of the playoffs after profitable the Presidents’ Trophy as regular-season champions and setting an NHL document for many wins with a 65-12-5 document?

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NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks would reply no in each cases.

The Bucks had the perfect document within the NBA this season (58-24) however, just like the Bruins, have been eradicated within the first spherical of the playoffs, dropping their best-of-seven collection in 5 video games to the Miami Warmth. Miami completed eighth within the Japanese Convention with a 44-38 document and needed to undergo a play-in match earlier than going through the Bucks.

Boston completed 22 factors forward of the second-place Carolina Hurricanes within the total NHL standings and 43 factors forward of the Panthers, who eradicated the Bruins with a 4-3 extra time win in Recreation 7 Sunday. The 43-point distinction makes it the biggest upset in NHL playoff historical past for a best-of-seven collection.

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After the Bucks misplaced Recreation 5 of their collection towards the Warmth 128-126 in OT final Wednesday, Eric Nehm of The Athletic requested Antetokounmpo: “Do you view this season as a failure?”

Antetokounmpo’s considerate, philosophical reply was a breath of recent air in as we speak’s sports activities world and was an awesome lesson for athletes of all ages.

“Do you get a promotion yearly in your job?” Antetokounmpo responded. “No, proper? So yearly you’re employed is a failure … sure or no? No. Yearly you’re employed you’re employed in the direction of one thing, in the direction of a aim, which is to get a promotion, to have the ability to care for your loved ones, to offer a home for them or care for your mother and father. You’re employed in the direction of a aim. It’s not a failure. It’s steps to success.”

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Nehm requested Antetokounmpo the identical query final season after Milwaukee misplaced to the Boston Celtics within the Japanese Convention semifinals a yr after the Bucks had received the NBA championship. The articulate Antetokounmpo — a 28-year-old Greek-Nigerian who was named the NBA’s Most Priceless Participant in 2019 and 2020 — instructed Nehm he didn’t need to make his response private this time, including he wasn’t in the precise “thoughts house” to reply the query a yr earlier.

“Michael Jordan performed 15 years, received six championships,” Antetokounmpo stated. “The opposite 9 years was a failure? That’s what you’re telling me?

“There’s no failure in sports activities,” Antetokounmpo added. “There’s good days, dangerous days. Some days you’ll be able to achieve success, some days you’re not. Some days it’s your flip, some days it’s not your flip. That’s what sports activities are about. You don’t at all times win. Another (staff) goes to win. This yr anyone else goes to win … easy as that. We’re going to return again subsequent yr, attempt to be higher, attempt to construct good habits, attempt to play higher.”

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Antetokounmpo famous that the Bucks’ championship in 2021 was their first in 50 years.

“It was 50 years of failures?” he requested. “No, it was not. It was steps to it. We have been capable of win one, hopefully we are able to win one other one.”

There are 30 groups within the NBA and 32 groups within the NHL and on the finish of every season solely two of these 62 groups can say they’re champions.

To Bruins are the newest instance of simply how tough it’s to win the Stanley Cup.

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Because the Presidents’ Trophy was first handed out on the finish of the 1985-86 season, solely eight groups that completed first in the course of the common season went on to win the Stanley Cup. The final time that occurred was in 2012-13 when the Chicago Blackhawks completed first in a lockout-shortened season with a 36-7-5 document and went on to win the championship.

“I assume the phrases that come to thoughts proper now’s disappointment, confusion, after which I’d say the opposite half is when you begin trying on the season it was an honour to educate that group,” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery stated after the Recreation 7 loss. “I do know we didn’t get to the place we needed — I get that. However their professionalism, their work ethic, their dedication to being professionals — it was a pleasure to be round.”

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I grew up watching the Large World of Sports activities on ABC and nonetheless bear in mind the enduring introduction to the weekly TV present that included video of athletes celebrating victories, together with Slovakian ski-jumper Vinko Bogataj crashing closely after falling on the takeoff ramp.

“Spanning the globe to convey you the fixed number of sport … the fun of victory … and the agony of defeat,” announcer Jim McKay would say on the introduction to Large World of Sports activities. “The human drama of athletic competitors.”

Large World of Sports activities was cancelled in 1998 after a 37-year run, however the phrases of McKay stay true as we speak. The fun of victory, the agony of defeat and human drama are what make sports activities so nice.

Dropping, as Antetokounmpo stated so eloquently, doesn’t essentially imply failure.

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