That Old Familiar Feeling

Here comes the hurt again....

"It's just a game, babe," Rickey said, trying to calm me, but having the exact opposite effect. How could I ever make him -- or anyone else for that matter -- understand that it would never be just a game to me? Mavs basketball was -- and is-- my heart and soul, my passion and poison, and above all, my obsession. It's what wakes me up in the morning and what I so often dream about at night.

So watching my team get ousted in the first round for the third time in four years sucked. It hurt, angered, and disappointed me yet again, but the funny thing is, it hurt a little less than it did last year. Or in 2007 against the Golden State Wienies, and way less than it did in 2006, when we were so close to the championship I was already planning on playing hooky from work to attend the parade. It seems the more times the Mavericks have fallen short of their ultimate goal of an NBA title, the easier it has become for me to accept the disappointment. And if it has become that much easier for me as a fan, I have to wonder, is it that easy for the players to accept defeat and start over again in October?

Failure should never be acceptable. Not to the fans, nor to the members of the Dallas Mavericks, nor to the coaching staff. I think that defeatist attitude could be a big part of the Mavericks’ problems. I’ve believed since 2006 that the Mavericks had the primary pieces in place, give or take role players here and there, to make a legitimate championship run. I don’t necessarily believe this team’s problems can be attributed to poor coaching decisions, inadequate talent on the roster, or a lack of the desire, drive, and dedication it takes to win. I do, however, believe for these Mavericks, the trouble is all in their heads – literally. As a whole, this team lacks mental toughness. And it starts at the top, with the foundation of the franchise, none other than our fearless leader, Dirk Nowitzki.

While I would never suggest that this team was anything but tough physically (we’ve seen Dirk, Jet, and Co. play through their pain and injuries many times), what goes on inside their heads is an entirely different story. The three players who remain from the 2006 team that went to the Finals – Dirk, Dampier, and Jet – have still been unable to get past the colossal collapse that cost them the championship. Nor have they overcome the psychological aspects of their first round upset to Golden State (at the hands of former friend and ally, Coach Don Nelson) the following season. And as much as they want to win it all, until they can leave their failures where they belong – in the past – and stop being haunted by opportunities lost, things for this team will never change.

Winners don’t dwell on their mistakes, they focus on their futures. They don’t accept failure, and they realize that finishing in second place simply means you’re the first loser. Until the front office, the ownership, the fans, and especially the Mavericks themselves refuse to settle for anything less than a championship, Dallas will remain (and be remembered as) a really good, not great, team that never could quite get over the hump.