Undefeated

In most venues of life, positivity trumps negativity. It is better to say a glass is half full than half empty. It is better to congratulate Jim on getting Pam than admonish him for losing Karen. It is better to look at old leftovers and celebrate the growth of bacteria than mourn the loss of edible food. Roses over thorns, if you will.

I know what is 'better' to do.
But I still say Jim is an idiot.

There is one instance, however, when negative absolutely trumps positive: the word "undefeated." When you are undefeated, not only are you a winner, but you've been a winner every single time you've competed. There's an aura. Other terms - positive terms, even - simply cannot match Undefeated's leverage (although "Perfect Season" comes close). It is the highest point on the mountain of sports achievements, and when an undefeated season is unfolding, people hold their breath, in anticipation of something truly special.

Ladies and gentlemen, please start holding your breath. The triple threat of Jay Lee, Will Kim, and I (average height of something like Average Asian Height, which is to say, not particularly tall) are an eye-popping 3-0 in our three-on-three pickup games this season (and by this season, I mean when this little winning streak started). The record jumps to an astounding 4-0 when you include games where we had the advantage of playing with an extra female player. Let's meet the team!

(Quick Side Note: Those Xanga sites that I linked to their names haven't been updated in several years. I don't know why I even bothered with those links. Perhaps if you're reading this blog you can mosey over to their old sites and ask them to update their own blogs.)

Jay Lee

You know those old guys who don't seem all that imposing at first, but somehow kill you by scoring 8 or 9 points (in a game to 11 where every basket counts as 1) and grabbing every rebound? Well, imagine that guy except a 24 year-old version of him and you've got Jay. Sneaky. Deadly. Sneadly?

William Kim

Will used to be so competitive at basketball that he once screamed at one of his best friends for not shooting the ball when he was open. In other words, he was Kobe Bryant before Kobe learned how to be a good teammate. Now, Will is Kobe after Kobe learned how to be a good teammate.

(QSN: I was not that friend. But I could've been.)

Sally Son

If Sally looks cool, calm, and straight-up gangsta in this picture, it's probably because she is (but maybe because the pictures of the guys are all from the same photo, where we were told to pose "as creepy as possible").

Sally was a temporary team member who joined us for one glorious game. We played four-on-three that time, so it probably won't show up when history books discuss the greatest undefeated seasons in sports. But in that one game, she amassed more street cred in 10 seconds than I have after more than 10 years of playing pickup basketball. She made one shot from the wing, and after that shot went in (cleanly), the entire opposing team switched up their defense and went from man-to-man to zone. Let me repeat that: the whole team adjusted its defensive strategy because of her. Not only have I never, ever gotten to that level, that level is usually only reserved for guys like Shaq. That is sick.

This is me.

Now, I mentioned that the season started when we won our first of three games in a row. It will probably end one game before our first loss. So if you feel like showering us with praise or congratulating us on our perfect - I mean, undefeated - season right now, feel very free. It is better to be positive and celebrate now than be negative and possibly not celebrate later.