What is the cost?

I have only seen a few perfect games in my life, one of which was two nights ago.  And it was not my team that had the perfect game, but rather the opponent.   Duke was the on the receiving end of a perfect game from Derrick Williams, the Arizona wildcat that single-handedly defeated Duke and crushed Duke’s dreams of a repeat National Championship.  The loss broke my heart.  As I watched in disbelief and disappointment as Arizona extended its lead in the second half, I was crushed.  I was sad for myself (I know selfish but I just love watching Duke play), for the fans, for the student body, but most of all, for the players.  The thirteen players who have dedicated countless hours and energy to the one goal – to be the 2011 National Champions in Men’s Division I basketball.   Yes a lofty goal but not out of reach.  Until the other night.   I had Duke winning the national championship in my bracket, not just because I am a huge Duke fan (obviously) but because I really did think they could do it again.  Yet, what we saw the other night was not the perfect game we, as Duke fans, hoped from Duke but instead we were on the receiving team of a powerful game from a guy name Derrick Williams.  He just couldn’t miss. And Duke just couldn’t stop him.  Hitting the three with no time on the clock heading into half time was the dagger that Duke just couldn’t recover from. 

Williams, the sophomore sensation, had 32 points, 13 rebounds, three steals, two assists, and a block in Arizona’s victory. The big man was 5-6 from beyond the arc, and absolutely unstoppable all game long.

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Perfection.  The perfect game.  That is what every athlete, every team, every school hopes for when the athletes and coaches step into the arena. The goal to have a perfect game every game is not realistic and sets up every team, every player, every coach for disappointment.  Bad games happen, good games happen often, great games sometimes, but perfect games are rare, extremely rare.  Nolan Smith has had ten point games, followed by a thirty-point game.  The same can be said for Singler.  And Williams too is no exception.  In the basketball world, Williams showcased a phenomenal game last night. 

The hope for a perfect game extends far beyond basketball. In baseball,

A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher (or combination of pitchers) pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base.[2] Thus, the pitcher (or pitchers) cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any other reason—in short, "27 up, 27 down". The feat has been achieved 20 times in the history of major league baseball—18 times since the modern era began in 1900.

It has happened 18 times in 21 years.  How many games of baseball have been played in that time frame?  Thousands? Maybe millions?  Every game, the pitcher strives to pitch the perfect game.  And each time they don’t (which is most of the time), they are disappointed.  So why do we as a society strive to achieve perfection in sports when it is so rare?  No wonder some athletes turn to steroids or other unethical ways to improve.  No wonder coaches break the NCAA rules of recruiting.   No wonder some professional athletes have depression and mental disorders. They want that perfect game, the perfect team.  They want to be champions.  But what is the cost?