March Madness and What's Really Important

First I smiled, then I shook my head and then I thought, “I’ve got to blog about this.”

Billie Gillispie is the head coach of the University of Kentucky men’s basketball team. For those that don’t care about college basketball, UK is one of the greatest programs in the history of the sport. Needless to say expectations are always very high that UK will contend for a national championship in the NCAA tournament.

Coach Gillispie was hired two years ago to return UK to its former glory and to get a championship. This year the Wildcats didn’t qualify for the NCAA tournament. As a consolation they were invited to play in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). Wednesday night UK lost to Notre Dame and was eliminated.

Speculation about whether Gillispie would be fired became the immediate buzz. A story on ESPN.com reported the story as follows—

Asked about how he feels about all the judgment he’s facing after posting a 40-27 record in two seasons at Kentucky, Gillispie said, ‘There’s only one judgment I’ll ever be concerned about, and I hope I pass that judgment. That’s the only one I’ll ever be concerned about, and I’m really proud that that’s the only judgment that will ever have a real effect upon me, and I hope I pass that one with flying colors.’

Gillispie declined to answer when asked whose judgment he was referring to, saying it was obvious, apparently referring to Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart.

Puuleeeezzzzeeee. I love March Madness and the NCAA tournament. But the ESPN story moved from madness to craziness when it failed to “get it” that Gillispie was referring to life’s final judgment that one receives from God. I guess Billie’s statement wasn’t obvious to all.

There are many things that are more important than the wrath of an athletic director or the loss of a job. The issues of eternal life, forgiveness of sin and passing the judgment of God certainly qualify.