[teejers1]

Teejers, I don’t know how you can attribute Prechtel’s position on the roster and Tara’s decision to insert her into the game as “luck”. In fact, I consider that the opposite of luck; it is intrinsic to what made Stanford into the team we were. By the same token, we were “unlucky” to have lost Carrington, even though whatever the reason for her departure, it wasn’t due to a coin flip on her part; the fact was that she wasn’t on the team and it wasn’t a random event.

“Luck” implies circumstances beyond the team’s control (for example, a star player on the opponent’s team being out due to COVID). Depth, coaching decisions, and player performance are within our control so I don’t think it qualifies as luck.

BC

I don't want to get into verboten topics to the sensitive administrators here, so I'll leave part of the rationale for why I think Stanford was lucky for another time and place.

But putting that aside, do you consider Prechtel getting hot from long range lucky for Stanford in the Elite 8 game?  If so, I'm fine abandoning (a) and (b) as it does not undermine the point.  If you don't consider that lucky or fortunate or what have you, well . . . I disagree.

I mean, it's hard for me to fathom how an opponent missing a bunny at the buzzer in a the semifinal game constitutes "luck" for Stanford, while Prechtel going off from long range in Elite 8 does not constitute good luck.  (Both strike me as unlikely occurrences in a hoops game).

[teejers1]

Teejers, I don’t know how you can attribute Prechtel’s position on the roster and Tara’s decision to insert her into the game as “luck”. In fact, I consider that the opposite of luck; it is intrinsic to what made Stanford into the team we were. By the same token, we were “unlucky” to have lost Carrington, even though whatever the reason for her departure, it wasn’t due to a coin flip on her part; the fact was that she wasn’t on the team and it wasn’t a random event.

“Luck” implies circumstances beyond the team’s control (for example, a star player on the opponent’s team being out due to COVID). Depth, coaching decisions, and player performance are within our control so I don’t think it qualifies as luck.

BC

I don't want to get into verboten topics to the sensitive administrators here, so I'll leave part of the rationale for why I think Stanford was lucky for another time and place.

But putting that aside, do you consider Prechtel getting hot from long range lucky for Stanford in the Elite 8 game?  If so, I'm fine abandoning (a) and (b) as it does not undermine the point.  If you don't consider that lucky or fortunate or what have you, well . . . I disagree.

I mean, it's hard for me to fathom how an opponent missing a bunny at the buzzer in a the semifinal game constitutes "luck" for Stanford, while Prechtel going off from long range in Elite 8 does not constitute good luck.  (Both strike me as unlikely occurrences in a hoops game).