[thenightwriterblog] The Night Writer: Go tell the Spartans Rams

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Posted by The Night Writer:
Go tell the Spartans Rams
http://thenightwriterblog.powerblogs.com/posts/1173723437.shtml


   There were two brave, defiant and ultimately glorious campaigns on
   display this past weekend featuring determined underdogs rising up to
   give their much larger foes all they could handle and more. One was in
   the new movie, "300" (see previous post) -- the story of 300 Spartans
   standing against the massive Persian army and the elite Immortals at
   Thermopylae to defend their way of life. The second was tiny Roseau
   High School demonstrating its way of life by rising up against greater
   numbers and big school hockey powers with their monstrous enrollments
   to win the 2A (highest) state hockey title.
   For the Roseau Rams, "The 300" might refer to the school's enrollment
   (342 in 2006, to be exact), but like the Spartans they proved that
   when you get your opponent in a confined space you can triumph through
   heart, spirit, discipline and skill. What makes it all the more
   inspiring is that it's not just a Cinderella story of a small school
   winning out against long odds, it's a story of Cinderella saying
   "Forget about the ball, I want to be on 'Dancing With the Stars.'"
   Roseau had the option of playing in Class 1A, created back in 1992 to
   make things "fair" for schools with smaller enrollments from which to
   draw their teams. Like the Spartans, they sneered at any such
   accomodation by themselves or their opponents, especially since in the
   days of the one-class, all-sizes tournament they had made 29 trips to
   the state tournament and won five titles.
   In "300" Leonidas forcibly rejected the Persian ambassador's request
   for a token sign of obedience and submission to King Xerxes. "This is
   madness!" the ambassador said, seeing the hostile intent. "This is
   Sparta!" shouted Leonidas as he kicked the man into a pit. Similarly
   back in '92 the State High School league came to northern Minnesota
   with a similar, reasonable proposal to bow to the forces of reason
   warm, fuzzy feelings. "This is Roseau!" was the response, with the
   authority of a slapshot from the blue line, and the small school with
   the proud tradition insisted on competing against the biggest schools
   at the highest levels, going on to win the 2A title in 1999 and again
   this year, persevering over teams in the field with as much as eight
   times their enrollment.
   In ancient Sparta, young boys were taken from their families at age
   six and sent to the agoge, to learn fighting and endurance, to develop
   a love for freedom, self-government and responsibility, and to never
   retreat or surrender. In Roseau the children start skating even
   earlier, learning to forecheck, backcheck and keep their egos in check
   and to never, ever stop skating.
   There were two brave, defiant and ultimately glorious campaigns on
   display this past weekend -- I hope you enjoyed and appreciated them
   both.