Rarely do we see an event in sports that has such a large impact on fans. Rarely do we see something that forces even non-sports fans to take notice; and only in special cases is there something beyond the story, a lesson that applies to everyone.  The event that I am obviously speaking of is George Mason’s incredible run through the NCAA tournament to the Final Four.

George Mason was one of the least deserving teams to get an at-large bid into the tourney.  Many people said that they had no right being in the field.  To respond to these critics, George Mason beat Michigan St., North Carolina, Wichita St. and Connecticut to win their region.  Three of those teams are responsible for four of the last seven national championships.

This past week has seen many people comparing this upset with some of the biggest in sports history.  However, the George Mason story is more than an upset.  This isn’t like Valparaiso in ‘98, Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson or the Soviet basketball team winning gold from the U.S. in ‘72.  Those events were the definition of upsets.  Upsets usually occurwhen either the underdog plays great, the favorite plays poor, or possibly both.  But this is not the case with George Mason.

Anyone who watched George Mason’s game against Connecticut saw something special.  George Mason didn’t beat a team that didn’t come to play.  UConn played possibly their best game of the tourney.  They shot 47% from the floor and turned the ball over just 9 times.  George Mason was a better team on that day.

There is something to be learned from this George Mason team, something different from other so called “upsets”.  Somewhere in Mason’s first couple of games, the players saw something in themselves.  They began to realize their potential.  They began to believe in themselves in a way that they had never before thought possible.  This is something that is not only fun but also inspiring to watch.

Coaches around the country should use this story for years to come.  At some point in our life, many of us have had a coach or a role model of some sort tell us that we have potential…that we can be anything that we want to be.  Very few people buy into this to the extent that George Mason has.  The last time we saw a team do this was the 1980 Olympic hockey team.  They didn’t just think they had a chance, and they didn’t just believe that they could win.  Each one of them believed in themselves. This allowed them to do whatever they wanted.

This amazing story of George Mason is not about a team that is just putting together a good stretch of games.  They are teaching us all that there is no such thing as impossible.  They are showing us that dreams really do come true.  They have shown us that if we believe in ourselves, then we can literally do anything that we set our minds to.  These phrases use to be cliché sayings that were meant well, but not taken too seriously.  This George Mason team has changed that.  If we all take a lesson from these players, we will all see just how special it can be to simply believe in yourself.

I hope that the fans watching this George Mason run don’t just look at how far an 11 seed has gone in the NCAA tournament.  I hope that they look beyond that and realize what we are all capable of.  I know I will.  So I say thank you to George Mason not just for the memories that they have given us over the last couple of weeks, but also for helping us to believe.

John Addler would love to hear your comments
He can be reached at  john.addler@atomicsportsmedia.com