But Jacobsen is a keen media observer and was convinced the Cardinal had been victims of numerous snubs. Sure, national college basketball analysts mentioned Stanford when discussing the nation s premier teams, but they don t dwell on the Cardinal the way they did, say, Duke, North Carolina and Michigan State. After digesting the pregame hype leading up to Stanford s 85-79 victory over the Bruins on March 3, Jacobsen was convinced most of the national and local media assumed Stanford would lose. This is nothing new, by the way. Athletes using a real or perceived lack of respect as motivational fuel dates back to the first Caveman Olympiad.
Respect is second only to distraction as the most overused word in sports.
This is the time of year, in college basketball, anyway, when players and coaches no longer can draw inspiration from tired motivational tactics, and therein lies the beauty of the NCAA Tournament. Go out and earn it. That is Stanford s challenge as it prepares for Thursday s first-round game against UNC Greensboro in San Diego. By this time, all the so-called experts have weighed in, and they all agree the skids have been greased for the Cardinal. Stanford is the No. 1 seed in the West, which appears to be the weakest regional.