The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT Jan. 14, 2012
It might not be the prettiest thing to watch sometimes - but you can't argue with success.
And while it may not produce a ton of points - whether in the NFL or high school sports, winning is the only thing that matters.
ON TUESDAY night, watching the Post Falls Trojans take on the Lake City Timberwolves in a 5A Inland Empire League boys basketball game, it was a contrast in styles.
Post Falls likes to run up and down the court, much like a track meet, while Lake City grinds games out, with final scores in the 40s in some cases.
When these same two teams faced off a couple weeks ago in the Coeur d'Alene Inn-vitational at North Idaho College, the game was played much like Tuesday's game, with both teams getting a limited number of shots.
Both styles have worked well for each school, with Post Falls winning the Inn-vitational and a tournament in Reno, Nev. Lake City has beaten Gonzaga Prep and Chiawana of Pasco, Wash., this season.
In the first game between the two schools at NIC, the Trojans beat Lake City 44-37 without starter Kyle Guice, who was out with a sprained ankle. With him back in the lineup, Lake City edged Post Falls 39-36 at Lake City in the first of two IEL matchups. They'll meet again on Jan. 31 at The Arena in Post Falls in what could help determine seeding for the regional tournament.
WHO KNOWS what could have happened if the Oakland Raiders beat San Diego on the final weekend of the season.
Instead, by way of tiebreakers, the Denver Broncos advanced to play the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opening round of the playoffs.
And while I don't envision a situation where the Broncos and quarterback Tim Tebow can beat the New England Patriots later today in a playoff game, a win might not shock me either.
Fired after one bad season in Carolina, Denver coach John Fox has another team in the playoffs — dysfunctional as it looked and who knows, maybe they’ve got another upset in them this weekend.
For as unpredictable as the NFL season has gone this year, I don’t expect anything less.
Green Bay went undefeated before losing to Kansas City, which had fired its coach just a few days before.
As ugly as the game might be, fans won’t be able to turn it off — especially if Tebow has the ball late with a chance to put his team in the AFC Championship game.
AT THIS point in the season, with prep basketball hitting the stretch run and the NFL winding down, all that most teams are seeking is a win.
No matter how it looks, as long as you’ve got more points than the other team, you’re doing something right.
Even if it looks completely wrong.
Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected].