other · basketball
A Gentle Fellowship Request Regarding the Unoccupied Hardwood and Certain Quiet Whispers in the Third Pew
Reflections on a remarkably peaceful Thursday morning in Tulsa, where the arena remains entirely empty and nobody is currently being asked to make any difficult theological choices.
It is, if one really stops to ponder the calendar with a soft and receptive heart, remarkably quiet around the Mabee Center this Thursday morning. We find ourselves in that peaceful interlude where the schedule doesn't explicitly demand anything of us, which perhaps—and please do not take this as any sort of criticism of the athletic department's wonderful scheduling committee, who work so very hard—might be a gentle nudge from above to examine our respective souls in the mirror. There is no opponent listed for today, no officials lingering by the scorer's table with their little whistles, and definitely no fast-break turnovers to cause us sudden, chest-tightening moments of existential dread. One could almost view this vacant arena as a pristine, freshly vacuumed fellowship hall, waiting patiently for someone to bring a casserole or perhaps gently suggest a quiet moment of silent prayer about defensive rebounding positioning. We certainly do not want to impose on anyone's busy morning routine, but while the hardwood sits there in its stillness, reflecting the overhead lights with such polite symmetry, it is awfully hard not to wonder if our baseline rotation choices are fully aligned with higher principles. Of course, nobody is pointing any fingers, and if anyone feels the slightest bit uncomfortable with this line of inquiry, please feel free to disregard it entirely and simply focus on the lovely display of autumn gourds currently sitting by the ticket window. It's just that when we think about the upcoming non-conference slate and the way those mid-range jumpers have been gently clanking off the iron lately, one can't help but clear one's throat apologetically and whisper a little hope that our collective arc of grace might tighten up before the winter air sets in. There is absolutely no pressure intended by these observations, mind you. If we simply want to sit in silence and sip lukewarm coffee from our foam cups while staring blankly at the section 114 row 12 seating bolts, that is entirely fine by everyone on the committee. Still, as we ponder the empty floor and the total absence of any live whistles, it might be nice if we all just took a deep breath, checked our spiritual depth charts, and remembered that kindness costs us nothing at all, even when the shooting percentage dips below thirty-two percent in practice. If it's not too much trouble at all, and only if everyone feels completely comfortable and has their shoes securely tied, perhaps we could all just pause for a tiny moment of quiet reflection before we start setting up the folding chairs for next week's activities.