ASHLAND — In American sports culture, it’s all about the championship. They don’t do banner ceremonies for win streaks, after all.
But is that they way it should be?
The Ashland University women’s basketball team went on the road and defeated Saginaw Valley State on Thursday night, 112-69. The victory made it 55 consecutive wins for the Eagles, dating to last season.
As you’ve probably heard, it’s the longest streak in women’s Division II history. But does it matter?
Ashland coach Robyn Fralick was asked if she viewed the regular season as just another rung on the ladder, or if it was separate, and what her approach to the regular season was?
“We see each game as what is the most important thing. We look at right now,” Fralick said. “Outside noise, we’ve learned to make sure we are staying in the huddle and listening to the people in the huddle and [that] are inside the locker room.”
If you told a foreigner, that had never watched a Major League Baseball (MLB) game, that teams played 162 contests and having the best record at the end of it essentially meant nothing, they’d probably wonder why the regular season even existed.
Even if you follow MLB, you still might wonder.
The truth is, we do care about the regular season — it provides sports fans an escape and entertainment — but we’re just not allowed to act like it matters. The only time it is socially acceptable to treat a regular season with significance is if something “magical” is going on, such as the best record of all time or a new win streak like one the Eagles are setting.
If fans can’t respectfully enjoy and embrace the season, then why try to combine it with the playoffs? The regular season should have its own separate championship.
The National Hockey League (NHL) started down that road in the 1985-86 season, and has continued to award The President’s Trophy to the team with most points at the end of the campaign.
Major League Soccer (MLS) has honored the regular season champ with the Supporters’ Shield, a trophy that was created in ’99, just three years after the league was established. But that’s no surprise — almost every soccer league around the world plays a flat table and the league champion is recognized at the conclusion of all the fixtures. There are no playoffs.
Don’t get me started on a flat table — it’s too hard for the American brain to handle. Imagine, instead of playing some crap team in your division five times. You play every team twice, home and away, and the team with the best record is crowned champion. The problem with that is that it’s too pure and fair and doesn’t allow for a team with a losing record to get into the playoffs because their division or conference is horrible (see the 2010 Seawhawks with a record of 7-9, for example, or every single NBA season where the bottom feeders of one conference get in over teams with substantially superior records from the other conference.)
Not only should the regular season be its own entity, but winning streaks and best records should be highly honored.
“It’s a journey that’s continued from last year. I play on a really great team so we want to continue this (streak),” said Ashland senior forward Andi Daugherty.
At 55 wins in a row, let’s look at how Ashland’s amazing display of consistency stakes up against other notable runs.
Most north central Ohio sports fans were along for Cleveland’s professional baseball club’s amazing 22-game streak that set the American League record last season.
But then Aaron Judge, who is taller than the home run wall, robbed Francisco Lindor of a two-run homer in Game 3 of the ALDS and the Yankees went on to win that and the series, leaving Cleveland with more broken hearts.
Why should a loss to the Yankees, in a different competition, tarnish those 22 games?
In 2016, the Golden State Warriors set the mark for the best regular season performance at 73-9, ousting Michael Jordan’s 1996 Chicago Bulls that went 72-10. Unfortunately, that Golden State team will always be remembered for its 3-1 finals collapse to Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and how they lost Game 7 via “the block, the three and the D.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers had the best regular season record in MLB this past year and went on to win a title. But in the stories and recaps, there’s no mention of the season, only the championship.
Either way, when the crowds fill in Kates Gymnasium, they are there for a truly historic streak, that means something to them.
“Our fanbase is awesome. Every game, the purple swarm is coming, and it’s just a great atmosphere, with great teammates and coaches,” said Ashland sophomore Sarah Loomis.
The Eagles travel to Northwood Saturday for a 1 p.m. tip and then return home Jan. 27 to play Tiffin at 1 p.m.
Coverage of Ashland University Eagles athletics is produced in partnership with OhioHealth, the official sports medicine provider for Ashland University.
