A Touch Of Class Worth More Than Espn Airtime

Some fans might not want to read this story: its contents aren’t spectacular enough to appear tonight on SportsCenter.

And it might not be exciting, because we’re not going to attain personal gain by crawling atop a humiliated foe.

These are, after all, the things that have become important in sports: The temporary, the superficial, the flashy, the immediate, the telegenic.

The selfish.

How many times have you heard the word “showtime” since you last heard the word “sportsmanship”?

Gonzaga put together one of its most impressive men’s basketball wins in school history Thursday, downing a San Francisco club by 39 points.

In fact, the Bulldogs conducted a shooting clinic rarely rivaled in the history of college basketball.

Unchallenged on the perimeter, GU’s remarkable shooters pumped in 22 3-point baskets.

Fans in the Martin Centre grew understandably feverish as shot after shot fell from long range and GU extended its advantage to as high as 45 points.

Two developments then collided to create what GU coach Dan Fitzgerald called “one of my worst experiences in 28 years of coaching.”

About the time that word seeped into the stands that the NCAA record for 3-pointers was 23, Fitzgerald eased off the throttle. The outcome was determined, and Fitzgerald believed that competitive decency required something of a cease-fire.

“I didn’t tell them not to take any (3s) - that would have been an insult to USF,” Fitzgerald said. “I just didn’t want us running double-screen specials for 3-pointers.”

Down the stretch, only a few 3-pointers were attempted, and the Bulldogs finished short of the record.

One man accosted Fitzgerald in the hall after the game, and by the time he reached his office Friday morning, Fitzgerald had six profane calls on his voice mail.

“You $%&*@!, you kept us off SportsCenter,” one accused.

GU players were fully supportive of the approach Thursday night, but confessed ambivalence Friday.

“During the game, I definitely agreed with what we were doing,” Jon Kinloch said. “That’s a class way to carry out a game. At the same time, it’s hard because we could have been a part of history.”

“It would have been nice to have the record; I can see where the fans are coming from,” John Rillie said. “And as a player, there’s some achievements you’d like to have, but really, a couple years down the road, who’s going to remember?”

Understand, Fitzgerald is an avowed autocrat. His system works, but not because of its flexibility, or its capacity to accommodate players outside of the classic GU mold. It is certainly not for those with more sensitivity than humility.

But in this case, he’s right all the way. By buying tickets, fans are entitled to entertainment and an opinion. But this is an issue between a coach and his players.

“The day that winning and losing and breaking records is more important than the integrity of the game, that’s when I’m outta here,” Fitzgerald said. “I’m sure somebody will say I don’t relate to the kids. I want it to be fun, sure, but this is a life experience and there’s some things that need to be learned. And if all we care about is winning games, then we haven’t learned much.”

But players have learned from Fitzgerald.

“Players reflect their coach, the kind of person he is,” said Lennie Parham, a GU graduate and now an assistant coach at Northern Arizona. “What (Fitzgerald) taught me was there’s never any reason to humiliate an opponent, and to always respect him. These are the things he’s taught forever and are the things I try to teach now.”

Here’s the punch line: The record wasn’t really 23, but 28, set by Troy State last December. So the Bulldogs could have continued to pour it on USF earning an unsavory reputation - and still not gotten the record.

This revelation perfectly dovetails with the point being made. Records are temporary and fleeting - or maybe unachieved entirely.

But a lesson well-taught will endure for life.