back in the day...

Sometimes, I just think back to my simpler time, when I was a student (and I use that word really liberally) at UC Santa Barbara, beginning my college career. I remember the world to true ambivalence, when the only real decisions were whether to get really drunk and then smoke some indonesia, or to get mad blasted and then ride it off with some beers, this is unless you had access to something more intersting (did you meet abby hoffman, i've heard he's a fun-guy)...there was never any real responsibility that a well planned call and good excuse couldn't resolve. Now that I'm an adult, I don't have that liberty. I not only have to take care of my own things in life, i also am responsible for a variety of others, and that responsibility can't be shunned. So as I sit here, writing the blog before the State Tournament, I'm here going through my checklist, to make sure all the necessary things are done before I leave for southern california...

...but it does mean i am in front of the television, watching playoff basketball, one of the things in life i truly do enjoy...it's not as much the playoffs as it is people, being really competitive, laying it all on the line for something that is bigger than they are. it's the true spirit of competition. don't get me wrong, the playoffs are nice, but for the extreme competitiveness i'm seeking, you almost have to go to the NCAA tournament, because that's one of the few activities i've ever seen where it seems the people involved KNOW it's bigger than they are, and they're just grateful to even be a part of it. As much as I hate the National Debate Tournament (NDT), it's one of the things i turly admire about the process. The teams that are legitimately trying to win the NDT know and understand the history of the activity, and very much want to take their place in that history. Those that don't have a real chance to win, understand the travails in the mere attempt to qualify is diffult, and actually qualifying is a feat, something some programs only get to do every once in awhile, even when they have special players- Stephen Curry v. Patty Mills in the sweet 16 of the NIT because although both were awesome on very good teams, very good wasn't good enough to get it done. This is the way I should feel about the State Tournament, but instead I treat it probably more like a Duke or North Carolina probably treats the NCAA basketball tourney- we always have a shot to win, and we should approach it that way....

...however, I'm not as confident about the Tournament of Champions...the NCAA basketball tournament of the debate season, where the best of the best (that can afford it, have access, desire, supportive administrations, etc.) meet and determine who should sit at the top of the high school debate mountain. There are a couple of reasons...the first is pretty obvious- we're not a Duke or North Carolina program, one that expects to attend every year and anticipates winning every few years or so. As a squad, we've only fully qualified a team to the TOC in one year, and that's this year. We've done well, but no other team received two TOC bids in the same year...this year we had two teams do it in two activities qualify, and i have a junior and a sophomore, who will have qualified, coming back, which makes things even nicer. That being said, historically, the first time someone is at the TOC, they usually get run out of debates and it's usually a miserable experience with a record of 2-5 or 1-6...I'm not as confident as I am about State because I just assume we'll get it done....do not read this to mean that i am NOT confident about our chances at the TOC, i think we'll do just fine, as long as we can keep the discussions about our stuff, and treat our arguments and competitors with due diligence....

since I've been repping Little Brother too much, I'll close it out with a little Brother Ali

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgJQJesMs9s

peace out...wish us luck at the State Tournament...