COACH. OF. THE. YEAR. Because anytime you can take a one of the greatest bad sports movies and turn it into a pep talk, you pretty much have to go for it. Via ESPN:
John Beilein Used ‘Tin Cup’ To Motivate Michigan Vs. Ohio State
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- There’s this scene at the end of the movie “Tin Cup” in which Roy McAvoy, played by Kevin Costner, is down to his final ball. ... Twice on Saturday -- once as No. 19 Michigan watched film and another time right before its 56-51 win over No. 6 Ohio State -- Wolverines coach John Beilein brought up this particular scene from this particular movie.
"Coach said, 'Just go for it. Tin Cup it. Eighteenth hole, hit it in the drink three times, go for it, rip it,'" Michigan senior guard Zack Novak said. "'Tin Cup.' He's got random thoughts."
Random, yes, but also totally awesome. I’m not sure if John Beilein misunderstood that movie or I did, because I always thought the moral of the movie wasn’t “go for it”, but that if you’re going to fail, you might as well fail memorably and be entertaining about it. (As Renne Russo tells Tin Cup: “They’ll remember your 12!”.) Although maybe that philosophy is subconsciously embodied by the idea of a “Tin Cup” pep talk, itself.
Who can say.
Either way, it’s fantastic to see “Tin Cup” used in a pregame speech, and you gotta think Beilein’s saving this scene for March. Forget about par, Michigan. Listen to Cup: “When a defining moment comes along, you define the moment, or the moment defines you.”
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