Last-second shot against Trump comes up short

Basketball fans, admit it.

You were hoping for Murray State to knock off Florida State. And why? Because a year ago, a very similar-looking Florida State team knocked out your beloved Zags.

For that matter, you were pulling wildly on Sunday for Central Florida University to upset overall No. 1 seed Duke. And why? Because like Murray State, you saw CFU as offering a path of least resistance for Gonzaga to win its first national basketball championship.

Hey, nothing to be ashamed of. It’s natural. Besides Americans’ tendency to cheer for underdogs, it makes sense that we want the highest possible odds for our teams to win. Because winning, you might have heard, isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.

Political fans, you can admit it, too.

Those who have been rooting deliriously for the equivalent of a Murray State or a CFU to dunk President Trump into oblivion, via a damning Mueller report or sensational lawsuit, have just seen the defending champ win again. You’re disappointed. You’re feeling the angst of a different sort of March Madness. Only this tourney won’t be decided until Nov. 3, 2020. So here’s what you do.

You abandon your dream of someone else doing the heavy lifting — the dirty work, if you will — and you embrace the intangibles that all championship teams embrace.

You work harder than ever. You focus on what you can do to improve rather than hope the other team self-destructs. Ultimately, you select your very best players, you put them on the court and you let them play.

And if your team falls? Why, then, credit your opponents.

Maybe they were just better.