L-Bo

Time ran out.  The score board hanging above the center of Norm Stewart Court showed 93 to 63.  A few minutes passed but the victory was ours.  Three seniors had played their final game in Mizzou Arena and everyone present knew it was the best team victory of the year.

Over half of the crowd lingered.  Wee's favorite was standing in the center circle following his final game.  He's the player who wanted to say the words that would do justice to the emotions welling inside him.  Participating in athletics creates such moments.  Last night Laurence Bowers, L-Bo, would complete his five year journey.  It was a time when a young man would become a man, when a student would complete his degree, when an athlete would experience the cost of injury and the price for rehabilitating and rebuilding his body. He learned the power of mental fortitude.  In excellence, he never lost humility.

The words he spoke were drenched in praise, thanks and loyalty.  First he gave credit and thanks to his maker.  Regardless of whether the listeners shared his faith or had none at all, his words of unmitigated humility acknowledged that every athlete, every person, is granted talent through forces and factors beyond their personal control or understanding.  Success is rooted in the gifts of genetics, the randomness of friends, mentors, and environments, and personal commitment couched in the humility.

Mr. Bowers gave great credit to his family and his teammates for the accolades flowing to him.  Then he worked to find the words to tell the fans about the effect their presence and cheering have on him and on his teammates.  An aura emanates from people in the seats.  Their muscles tighten with every dive for a loose ball or a full body slam in taking a charge.  Nearly every fan feels the frustration when a free-throw rattles around the rim but crawls away without touching the net.  But the energy inside helped the team earn a perfect record at home. His words extended the meaning of team while he gave thanks for so much support from folks whose names he will never know.

In his words before leading the unique Mizzou cheer, he remembered a former teammate by simply acknowledging that he was part of this class too.  In expressing loyalty to friends and teammates, he did not excuse or condone any transgressions.  He sent the kind of message one friend hopes to hear from another.  We all have friends who have erred – some whose errors deserve serious sanctions.  Not all of us have stood strong enough to despise the transgressions while continuing to be loyal to the friendship when the cost of friendship is greatest.

L-Bo ended his talk with a commitment.  He and his teammates committed to give all the effort they have in every game that remains.  He will proudly wear the black and gold through the last game in his last season for his alma mater.  Finally he shouted M – I – Z, to which his fans hollered back Z – O – U.

We are Tiger fans.  Unlike fans from North Carolina, UCLA, Kansas, Duke or Kentucky, being a Missouri fan does not come with the rarefied assurance of top ten ratings year upon year.  When Mizzou highlights are played from over the decades, we’re forced to watch the 1995 game when with 4.8 seconds remaining, Tyus Edney drove 90 feet, from end line to end line, and scored the basket that doused our best chance to make the vaunted final four in the NCAA tournament.  Over the years, so many games have turned sour on a disputed play or a blown call by the referee that some fans call it the Tiger curse.

For years, Norm Stewart paced the sidelines and built teams who could compete with anyone.  There were a couple of teams who dominated nearly all rivals for a year or two but the string of victories never approached dynasty status.  Some fans from other schools have questioned why anyone would willingly be a Mizzou fan – the suffering would be more than they could tolerate.  We know why we’re fans.

These teams reflect who we are.  They play with the character we value.  The players make every fan a part of the team.  Our role is to build the aura – whether we’re in the arena or watching with folks at the local pub.  We're fans because we know that our grandsons will come to idolize certain athletes.  They will know the stats and will try to emulate their moves.  As boys, they will adopt the demeanor and style of those stars they idolize.  We’re fans because we hope they will watch the game, be part of the team, and learn from athletes like Laurence Bowers. 

--td