Sunday letter

Gonzaga wins the honorable way

Now that the dust has settled on the college basketball season, I’ve had some time to reflect. Mark Few, his coaches and his players provided another terrific season to enjoy. Gonzaga lost three starters, two to the NBA, from last year’s great team and many experts thought it would be a rebuilding year for the Bulldogs. Instead, Coach Few guided the team to a 29-7 record and another WCC league and tournament championship. Gonzaga also entered the NCAA tournament for the 16th time in a row. We are blessed to have such a successful local team to cheer for.

But my appreciation goes much deeper than a winning record. So many college programs are riddled with cheating and corruption.

Gonzaga basketball is the polar opposite. Players graduate, play professionally and often come back to Spokane to be part of the Bulldog family that Few and his coaches have created. This is a Christian program that plays by the rules and I’m proud of that.

The great sportswriter Grantland Rice said it best:

“For when the One Great Scorer comes

To write against your name,

He marks – not that you won or lost –

But how you played the Game.”

Tom Engdahl

Spokane

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