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Defeat may be agonizing, but at least it's something to write about
By Jeremy Johnson
jjohn308@mscd.edu

Sport clichés are a boring but necessary element of the industry. Sure, clichés contaminates the news world in general, but nowhere is the catch phrase and standard quote more often relied on than in everyday sport reports.

Coaches and athletes are trained to spew clichés, but even nerds, geeks, wimps and other gymnasium outcasts know the team “came to win.” And even my mother has heard and held true to the notion of giving “110 percent.”

Clichés are a cop-out and I, for one, loathe them. Yet they have become a crutch that I rely heavily on when covering the impeccable Metro women’s soccer beat.

Since August 2005 I have covered the Roadrunners through thick and, well, 58 straight games unbeaten.

Through their disciplined practices and rugged matches, I’ve seen nothing more than domination and superiority from the mighty Metro squad. And while fanfare and attendance has been mediocre at best, the team’s performance has been so far beyond bad-ass that it’s become boring.

The ’Runners were eliminated from the Elite Eight NCAA tournament in 2005 when, against Seattle-Pacific, they were beaten in an overtime shootout.

Not only did the defeat go down in the record books as a tie, but the sole missed goal was by a junior named Kylee Hanavan.

Arguably one of the all-time best Division-II players, Hanavan led the team with her on-field presence, off-the-field poise and numbers that have shattered previous records. She will stand indefinitely in Metro sports lore. So even the tiniest fault that day in the Pacific Northwest is nearly impossible to criticize.

But the perfection of the Roadrunners’ dream team heralds little writing reflection. Parity is unheard of when it comes to these wonder women, and I’ve found my expression limited to mere cheerleading and re-writing headlines that constantly say the same thing: Metro wins.

Duh.

Stalwart drive and fierce desire make the Metro women the most feared and fearless team this side of the Mississippi. But their staunch winning streak leaves me lacking any real adversity or any opportunity to express the agony of defeat.

In layman’s terms and without witty alliteration: Why don’t you lose already?

Having said that, it should be known that I don’t say that in any way as to lay a curse on the fine Roadrunners’ squad. In fact, my favorite number is 13 and I go out of my way to avoid cracks in the sidewalk. If anything, I am the antithesis of the curse.

But I do think that one loss would suit the team well. Record books or no, the ’Runners undoubtedly look at last year’s playoff “tie” as a loss. The only one they had all season.

I’ve never before followed a college team so long and so closely as I’ve followed Metro women’s soccer. I see them as one of the best all-around teams that I’ve ever had the pleasure to watch.

And the only thing I want to watch now is a championship.

If that means losing now so that they might win everything after, then let the curse begin.