The Patriot League's Weekly Ritual: More Than Just Medals?
Alright, settle in, folks. It's Tuesday, or was it Monday? Honestly, the days just blur into one endless stream of press releases, don't they? Especially in the college sports world, where every single week, someone, somewhere, is getting an award. A "Player of the Week," a "Diver of the Week," a "Rookie of the Week." It’s like a never-ending corporate employee of the month program, but with more spandex and less office cake.
November 11th rolled around, and like clockwork, the Patriot League dropped its latest batch of weekly honorees. While Virginia's basketball team was busy securing a win against Hampton (good for them, I guess) and Michigan Tech Hockey was doing whatever it is hockey teams do in Michigan (probably something involving ice, offcourse), the real action, according to the League, was happening in the pools. And when I say "real action," I mean the kind of action that generates a perfectly formatted email for a handful of dedicated followers.
The Perpetual Motion Machine of Accolades
So, what's the big news? Army West Point, Navy, and Boston University are racking up the accolades. We're talking about Johnny Crush, the sophomore from Army, snagging Men's Swimmer of the Week for the tenth time in his career, and third this season. Molly Webber, also from Army, grabbed Women's Swimmer of the Week for the third time this season, second consecutive. Mackenzie Kim from Navy? Women's Diver of the Week, again.
Now, don't get me wrong. These athletes are clearly phenomenal. Breaking a program record in the 200-yard freestyle, like Molly Webber did with a 1:45.98, or Johnny Crush clocking a 45.41 in the 100-yard backstroke against Penn State – that's some serious talent. You can almost feel the faint chlorine smell clinging to the air, the muffled roar of a small crowd, the sheer physical exertion. But here’s my question: when someone wins the same weekly award three, or even ten, times, does it still feel like a genuine surprise? Or does it just become part of the routine? It's like the sun rising in the east; you appreciate its consistency, but you ain't throwing a party every morning.
This isn't to diminish their effort, not really. No, wait, it is about them, but it's also about the machine that uses them. The Patriot League, now in its "fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement," needs these stories. It needs the weekly winners, the program records, the narratives of excellence to keep the gears turning. But for us, the audience outside the immediate bubble of coaches, parents, and fellow athletes, does it resonate? Does Danka Ndubuisi's 200-yard backstroke time, now fourth all-time at Boston U and second fastest in the Patriot League, truly capture the public imagination in the same way a buzzer-beater in basketball does? I'm not so sure.
Beyond the Press Release: Who's Asking?
Let's be real, most people couldn't tell you the difference between a 100-yard backstroke and a 500-yard freestyle, let alone appreciate the nuance of a 45.41 versus a 46.00. These are highly technical, demanding sports, and the athletes commit their lives to them. Ethan Zhou, the freshman from Boston U, getting a second place in the 200-yard freestyle against UMass? That's a huge achievement for him. Danka Ndubuisi breaking a pool record in Amherst? Absolutely incredible.
But here's where my cynical side kicks in: Who outside of their immediate circles is celebrating these specific triumphs? Does it get mentioned on national sports broadcasts? Does it trend on social media? Probably not. It's a testament to dedication, for sure, but it often feels like these weekly awards are less about widespread recognition and more about internal validation. A pat on the back from the league, a nice bullet point for the athlete's resume.
The fact that the coaches vote, and can't vote for their own, is supposed to ensure fairness. And I'm sure it does, to a degree. But when you've got the same names popping up week after week, you gotta wonder if it's a testament to a few dominant individuals in a relatively small pond. Are we truly seeing a wide field of contenders, or just a few shining stars who consistently outpace the rest? And what about the athletes who come in a close second or third, week after week, pushing the winners to their limits? They don't get the press release, do they? Then again, maybe I'm the crazy one here, always looking for the hidden narrative instead of just appreciating the surface-level win. It's just... the constant stream of "good news" can start to feel a little hollow after a while, you know? Like a carefully curated playlist designed to keep everyone happy, but lacking any real surprises.
Just Another Cog in the Machine
Ultimately, the Patriot League's weekly awards are a fixture, a tradition. They serve a purpose: to acknowledge the hard work, the dedication, and the athletic prowess of student-athletes in sports that often fly under the radar. But if we're being honest, they also feel like another cog in the endless machine of collegiate sports, churning out headlines that only truly resonate with a select few. The athletes are putting in the work, breaking records, and pushing boundaries. The league is doing its job by recognizing them. But for the rest of us, it's just another Tuesday, another email, another list of names that will likely be forgotten by next week, when the cycle inevitably begins anew. And that, my friends, is the real story.
