Virginia coach Tony Bennett had the best reaction after losing to UMBC
By Josh Hill
Virginia became the first 1-seed to lose to a 16-seed in the history of March Madness, and Tony Bennett put one helluva spin on it.
Remember a few years ago there was a commercial about not missing out when a 16-seed finally wins a March Madness game. It was an internet advertisement, but it was also way ahead of its time. There wasn’t anything troll-ish about the ad, just a positive reminder to have internet (or maybe it was cable, it doesn’t matter) for when a 16-seed wins.
It wasn’t about the 1-seed losing, it was about the underdog finally getting its day in the most historic way possible.
That day actually came on Friday night, when Virginia lost to UMBC in a blowout loss. Cavaliers head coach Tony Bennett channeled the positivity of the moment (and by default, those internet ads) by not making this about a 1-seed losing.
Rather than sulk after the game, Bennett talked to Tracey Wolfson and had a smile on his face. The man was smiling after coaching a team to the wrongest side of college basketball history this side of an actual scandal.
The highlight was when he spun Virginia losing into a positive. Bennett said that Virginia had a historic season, whether it was winning the most games in the ACC or losing to a 16-seed to cap it all off.
Someone get that man a job in politics because it was a masterstroke.
It also shows how much class Bennett has, and serves as an example of true sportsmanship. Troll Bennett all you want, but he’s taking this in stride where others might be going another direction.
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He’s also not wrong; Virginia’s basketball program just became a historic one. It’s not for the right reasons, but no one will ever forget Bennett or his team.