Monday, April 4, 2011

The Butler Way

The Washington Post looks at the philosophy behind the Butler University basketball program.  It sounds a little like the "Block O of Life," but hopefully is more than just words:
The Butler Way is rooted in five principles: humility, passion, unity, servanthood and thankfulness. It’s as familiar to Butler’s players, and anyone connected with the Bulldogs basketball team, as strains of “The Victors” are to any rabid Michigan football fan.
“The minute I walked into the locker room, Coach [Brad Stevens] sat me down and talked about it,” said 19-year-old Michael Burke, a freshman manager for the team from McMinnville, Ore. “It represents doing the right thing all the time, putting the team first and not striving for individual success. It’s a culture. And it’s not just something we talk about; we embrace it. Even for someone like me — a manager — I’m part of the Butler Way.”
Slogans, of course, have no more to do with athletic success than fight songs or face paint. But in the case of Butler, players insist there’s a direct link between the Butler Way and victory on the court.
After last year’s loss to Duke in the NCAA title game, Butler wasn’t expected to advance particularly far in the tournament this year after losing its star player, Gordon Hayward, to the NBA.
I would love to see the Bulldogs pull off the win, even though I picked UConn to win the title in my bracket.

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