Does this team need to lose?

[Madbiker]

Nothing good ever comes out of a loss. Winning breeds confidence. Losing breeds self doubt.

 

[UnderHisOwnPower]

What do you guys think? Does this team need a reality check before the dance?

I think fans who ask this type of question, and there are several around here lately who do so, it's done to take the pressure off of themselves. They are so averse to experiencing a disappoint in the tournament this year, that they need a loss to give themselves just enough reason to doubt the teams abilities, so that expectations can be ratcheted down to about the same as a dozen or so other teams having good years. Then the eventual disappointment, so the psyche says, will be more tolerable.

If you've ever waited for a team that is almost unbeatable, a team you know can play with and most likely beat any other team in the country, well...here they are, right in front of you. This is the team you've been waiting for to give you reason to throw your chest out and challenge any other fan in the country to a throw down for greatest college hoops team in all the land. Enjoy, and stop questioning the success. They are damn good, and will continue to win, just might win it all. The only reason I could think of someone having such a losers mentality is for selfish reasons. Enjoy the ride. The team is confident they can keep it going, why shouldn't the fans be too?

 

[KingOtis]

I think fans who ask this type of question, and there are several around here lately who do so, it's done to take the pressure off of themselves. They are so averse to experiencing a disappoint in the tournament this year, that they need a loss to give themselves just enough reason to doubt the teams abilities, so that expectations can be ratcheted down to about the same as a dozen or so other teams having good years. Then the eventual disappointment, so the psyche says, will be more tolerable.

If you've ever waited for a team that is almost unbeatable, a team you know can play with and most likely beat any other team in the country, well...here they are, right in front of you. This is the team you've been waiting for to give you reason to throw your chest out and challenge any other fan in the country to a throw down for greatest college hoops team in all the land. Enjoy, and stop questioning the success. They are damn good, and will continue to win, just might win it all. The only reason I could think of someone having such a losers mentality is for selfish reasons. Enjoy the ride. The team is confident they can keep it going, why shouldn't the fans be too?

In my case, that's not it at all. Interesting theory, though.

 

[triplethrea]

People don't seem to realize what a mindf*ck a loss to South Florida would be. Our confidence is sky high and losing to someone like USF could makes the KIDS doubt themselves. Remember they are pretty much kids, they are not jaded, world-weary professionals. Waiters is missing these late game free throws right now because he knows he missed a few the last couple games. It's weighing on his mind every time. "Oh crap, I'm not going to miss another one, am I?" We're thinking it, Dion's thinking it, Dion misses. Losing does the same thing.

It's the dude in the corner that you know is there. Suddenly when we have our backs against the wall in the tournament and our memories of the What loss in the regular season come back and we start to doubt ourselves, that's it. Screw the loss, I want to win every game. Boeheim has lost enough these past 35 years, he already knows what it feels like and every post-game press conference he reminds us of it.