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<ul class="summary-list"><li>JMU Dukes star <keyword id="11406978" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="odicci-alexander">Odicci Alexander</keyword> was hit by a pitch during a <keyword id="11400649" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wcws">WCWS</keyword> game against Oklahoma Sunday.</li><li>The resulting foot <keyword id="27288" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="injury">injury</keyword> caused the Dukes pitcher's toenails to fall off.</li><li>Alexander pitched a day later and earned a standing ovation from the WCWS crowd for her heroics.</li></ul>Odicci Alexander is toughness personified.The James Madison University redshirt senior pitched her team straight into the history books, helping the underdog Dukes become the first unranked squad in <keyword id="11406979" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="womens-college-world-series">Women's College World Series</keyword> history to reach the semifinals through 1,057 pitches and an abundance of grit.<div type="image" title="odicci alexander" height="1406" width="1875" msid="83347163" hostid="261"></div>Alexander became the tournament's unofficial breakout star during JMU's electrifying Cinderella run, but it was her dogged performance in the final game of her career that cemented her legacy in <keyword id="227510" type="SPORT" weightage="60" keywordseo="softball">softball</keyword> lore and elicited a standing ovation from the fans at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.During the Dukes' game against the Oklahoma Sooners on Sunday, Alexander took a wayward pitch to the foot and limped to first base as JMU's potential go-ahead run.Though the star's foot injury may have appeared benign on first glance, she later revealed that the knock caused some of the toenails on her left foot to fall off.Despite her obvious discomfort, Alexander gritted through the pain and finished out a respectable performance in the circle. But the Sooners won 6-3, forcing a decisive third game against the Dukes scheduled for the following day.Alexander then had a decision to make: play on an injured foot once more or watch her team fight for a spot in the championships from the dugout. She chose the former."Blood, sweat, and tears," Alexander said, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/sports/story/2021-06-07/softball-pitchers-workload-womens-college-world-series">per the Los Angeles Times</a>. "I was going to keep pitching for my teammates."<div type="image" title="odicci alexander" height="1667" width="2500" msid="83347164" hostid="261"></div>Alexander started at pitcher for JMU in its win-or-go-home finale against top-ranked Oklahoma Monday afternoon, dragging her injured foot through the dirt with every pitch she threw.And when, in fifth inning, Dukes head coach Lauren LaPorte pulled her star from the circle one final time, the overwhelmingly pro-Sooners crowd on hand at the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, stadium rose to their feet in recognition of Alexander's incredible WCWS campaign.Even Alexander's opponents applauded the pitcher's brilliance throughout the tournament.Sadly for Alexander and her teammates, JMU was beaten 7-1 by Oklahoma Monday afternoon.The Sooners now advance to the best-of-three national championship series against the No. 10 Florida State Seminoles. Game one begins Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. ET, and fans can watch live on ESPN.

The breakout star of the Women's College World Series pitched hours after a gruesome injury caused her toenails to fall off

<ul class="summary-list"><li>University of Oklahoma <keyword id="227510" type="SPORT" weightage="60" keywordseo="softball">softball</keyword> star Taylon Snow dislocated her finger sliding into third base on Saturday.</li><li>When Snow refused to exit the game, a trainer popped her finger into place so she could resume play.</li><li>She scored the game-tying run shortly after, helping keep the Sooners' season alive.</li></ul>There's never a good time to get injured as an athlete, but midway through your team's Women's College World Series game certainly isn't ideal.Such was the case for University of Oklahoma infielder Taylon Snow during the Sooners' Saturday game against the UCLA Bruins. The stakes were high: Snow - a senior - was on first base as the game-tying run in the win-or-go-home postseason thriller.<div type="image" title="taylon snow" height="1405" width="1874" msid="83326073" hostid="261"></div>In the bottom of the fourth inning, Sooners senior Nicole Mendes hit a hard ground ball to third. Snow slid into second base, then quickly bolted to third after a wayward throw flew into the outfield. But as she slid head-first into third base to beat the tag, Snow's right hand caught the bag, forcing one of her fingers out of its socket.The <keyword id="27288" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="injury">injury</keyword> left Snow with an apparently dislocated middle finger.Be warned, the following clip is not for the faint of heart:Snow's teammates and coaching staff - as well as the Oklahoma fanbase - would not have been surprised to see the star take a seat on the bench following her injury. But Sooners head coach Patty Gasso said Snow ardently refused to be subbed out, <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshCallaway714/status/1401398348528205828">according to USA Today's Josh Callaway</a>.Instead, she quickly made her way to the dugout, where a team trainer "readjusted" her finger, Gasso said. With the digit popped back into place, Snow made her way back out to third base.Then she went ahead and scored the game-tying run for Oklahoma.Snow and the Sooners continued to pour in runs from there, racking up 10 total to keep their season alive. With the win, Oklahoma advanced to the semifinals against the tournament's Cinderella - the James Madison University Dukes. The two sides will play on Monday afternoon for a spot in the championship game.

The hero of Oklahoma's World Series comeback led her team to a win after dislocating her finger and popping it back in while on base

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12175983" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cat-osterman" source="Orion">Cat Osterman</keyword> is one of the greatest players in the history of American <keyword id="11948202" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="softball" source="Orion">softball</keyword>.</li><li>The 3-time Olympic medalist is playing a final season of <keyword id="12175986" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="athletes-unlimited" source="Orion">Athletes Unlimited</keyword> before retiring for good.</li><li>She spoke to Insider about her softball legacy and passing the torch to young stars like <a href="https://www.insider.com/wcws-odicci-alexander-pitches-after-losing-toenails-standing-ovation-2021-6">Odicci Alexander</a>.</li></ul>For nearly two decades, Cat Osterman has been one of the best softball players on the planet.The left-handed ace dominated from her first season of college with the Texas Longhorns. Multiple leagues, back-to-back pitching triple crowns, and three Olympic medals later, she's ready to walk off the mound for good.She's still the best in the business - she didn't give up a single run in 14 innings pitched at the Tokyo games this summer - but according to Osterman herself, "my heart's just ready.""Don't get me wrong - I still enjoy playing when I'm between the white lines," Osterman told Insider. "But I just don't wake up every day right now truly wanting to continue to do this."<div type="image" title="Cat Osterman." height="1405" width="1874" msid="86516177" hostid="261"></div><h2>Osterman's playing on borrowed time - sort of</h2>Osterman initially retired from <keyword id="12175982" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="usa-softball" source="Orion">USA Softball</keyword> in 2008 following the Beijing <keyword id="11896183" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="olympics" source="Orion">Olympics</keyword>. Five years later, she decided to walk away from National Pro Fastpitch - a now-defunct American professional softball league - after a slew of injuries took a toll on her body and mind.Once she got healthy, though, the three-time college player of the year recanted. She <a href="https://www.espn.com/espnw/news-commentary/story/_/id/9598110/espnw-usssa-pride-wins-two-straight-chicago-bandits-win-npf-championship">"fell in love with [softball] again,"</a> she said at the time, then played two more seasons before retiring for what she "actually thought was for good."But then the Olympics called.In 2018, 10 years after softball was <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2021/08/05/olympic-softball-future-tokyo-paris/8027403002/">cut from the Olympic program</a>, <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">news</keyword> dropped that the sport would make a return in 2020. Osterman, then 35 years old, unretired for one last go on the world stage.<div type="image" title="Cat Osterman." height="1666" width="2222" msid="86516179" hostid="261"></div>The pandemic, of course, put those plans on hold.<h2>While waiting an extra year for her grand return was not ideal, the delay brought with it a "silver lining" - Athletes Unlimited</h2>"The only reason I played in Athletes Unlimited was because the Olympics got delayed," Osterman said. "I wasn't shy about admitting it last year... COVID just happened to make that journey possible.""And, to be honest, I'm glad it did," she added.The 2020 Athletes Unlimited season - held in a COVID-19 "bubble" in Chicago - allowed Osterman to keep her body and mind fresh during the year-long gap. Her stellar play was a bonus. Osterman thrived in the league's athlete-centered model, in which players earn points based on team wins and individual performance. With the most points of all <a href="https://auprosports.com/leaderboard/?season=4">57 players on the leaderboard</a> at the season's end, Osterman won Athletes Unlimited's inaugural championship despite not even intending to participate in the league.<div type="image" title="Cat Osterman wins the inaugural Athletes Unlimited championship." height="2464" width="3285" msid="86516183" hostid="261"></div>Beyond giving her a place to play in a time of profound uncertainty, Athletes Unlimited also offered Osterman a unique opportunity to impart wisdom and "pass the torch" to a talented group of young stars who may not "have gotten to cross paths with me" otherwise.It's part of the reason "season one was just so impactful" for Osterman, who felt such a strong connection to the league after just a few weeks of play that she signed on for another season in 2021."I think that's the biggest thing - Athletes Unlimited gives that opportunity to pass this torch," Osterman said. "It is really cool to be able to talk with some of these rookie pitchers."<h2>Osterman says she's 'an open book' for rookies. <keyword id="12175984" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="odicci-alexander" source="Orion">Odicci Alexander</keyword>, the breakout star of the 2021 WCWS, is taking full advantage.</h2>Alexander, the James Madison University product who captured the entire nation with her <a href="https://www.insider.com/wcws-odicci-alexander-pitches-after-losing-toenails-standing-ovation-2021-6">sensational pitching</a> at the Women's College World Series earlier this year, told Insider she's been capitalizing on the opportunity to learn from "someone I've idolized for so long.""I'm pretty sure was on everyone's radar," Alexander said of Osterman. "It's an honor being on the field with her because of what she's done with the softball world and how much she's led the sport and made it grow."<div type="image" title="odicci alexander" height="1406" width="1875" msid="86516184" hostid="261"></div>Osterman - one of the four Week 1 captains for the 2021 season - made sure to draft the right hander from the beginning."She has that it factor," Osterman said. "Everyone saw that at the World Series and everyone fell in love with that at the World Series. And sometimes, when you have that internal it factor, it can trump a lot of other things."Osterman said Alexander was "super receptive" to feedback and asks questions because "she wants to get better [and] wants to be able to sustain herself in this league." For the rookie, it's obvious that Osterman is "someone younger players want to learn from.""I mean, who else would I ask?" Alexander quipped. "She knows it all."<h2>With a new generation of softball stars prepared to assume the mantle, Osterman is 'truly ready to be done'</h2>Osterman secured her softball legacy long ago, so she had little at stake personally when she embarked upon her spontaneous Athletes Unlimited journey. But what was once a bid to stay in shape for the Olympics became something much bigger: a chance to assure she's leaving her sport better than she found it.Now, after two seasons of helping grow the league and working with rookies to hone their craft, Osterman is really, actually, truly retiring. She means it. And with Alexander and various other newcomers taking Athletes Unlimited by storm this season, the pitching legend can rest assured that the league - and, further, her sport - are in safe hands.<div type="image" title="Cat Osterman." height="1666" width="2222" msid="86516187" hostid="261"></div>"Everyone that's played in the past is proud to see how much the sport has grown," Osterman said. "Athletes Unlimited has done a great job of making sure our fans know what's going on, and the more we do that, the more the sport can grow. The future is bright.""I look back and, to be honest, there's nothing that I feel like is left unturned," she added. "I feel like I've turned over every stone.""I'm truly ready to be done."

An unexpected move enabled one of softball's greats to 'pass the torch' before hanging up her cleats for good

Sue Ogrocki/APThe reigning champion Oklahoma Sooners defeated the top-ranked Florida Gators in Game 1 of the Women's College World Series on Monday night after an absolute marathon 17-inning game that included multiple last-strike comebacks.For those who tuned into ESPN after the Stanley Cup Final, "The Bachelorette," or "Monday Night Raw," they were treated to a barnburner.In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Gators needed a run and were down to their last strike. With two outs and a full count, Sophia Reynoso hit a double to bring in the tying run to force extra innings, with the ball just dropping in front of the outfielders who were playing deep.Fast forward to the 12th when the Sooners broke the tie and took a 4-2 lead. Again, Florida was down to their final strike. This time, it was Amanda Lorenz who came through in the clutch, with a double that brought home two runs and forced what would turn out to be another five innings of softball.After Florida worked their way out of bases loaded jams in both the 15th and 16th innings, bringing starting pitcher and national player of the year Kelly Barnhill back into the game in order to do so, the Sooners finally broke through in the top of the 17th when first baseman Shay Knighten hit a three-run dinger.Florida got one run back in the bottom of the inning, and threatened to tie it yet again when down to their final swing, but Oklahoma closer (also their starting pitcher, having re-entered the game as well) Paige Lowary ended things with her 139th pitch and 7th strikeout of the game.The game provided some numbers that make the box score appear broken. Four pitchers combined for 496 pitches and 40 strikeouts, with both teams' starting pitchers re-entering the game in relief. The game had 102 total outs recorded, 31 players involved, and took 5 hours, 28 minutes.Despite the equivalent of two and half games being played on Monday night, the Sooners and Gators hit the field for Game 2 with just a few hours rest, with the first pitch scheduled for 8 p.m. on Tuesday night.You can check out a solid highlight reel of the game below. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/extra-shoelace-hole-sneakers-running-lace-heel-lock-2017-5">We finally learned the purpose of that extra shoelace hole on your sneakers</a></h3> Please enable Javascript to watch this video

Oklahoma and Florida played a wild World Series Game that had 496 pitches, 40 strikeouts, and both starters returned in the end as relievers

Forbes recently announced that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwayne_Johnson">Dwayne Johnson</a>, better known to many as “The Rock” from his time at WWE, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2016/08/25/the-worlds-highest-paid-actors-2016-the-rock-leads-with-knockout-64-5-million-year/#25cf9ac845da">had topped the list of the World’s highest paid-actors for 2016, at $64.5 Million</a>. 
 
I must admit that the news took me by surprise. 
 
While I knew that <keyword id="484001" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="The-Rock">The Rock</keyword> has been a high-profile Hollywood star for a while now, I never quite expected him to be №1. 
 
There were also two important observations that came to mind : 
 Much like The Rock had made the transition from wrestling to become the world’s highest paid movie star, <keyword id="22324" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Arnold-Schwarzenegger">Arnold Schwarzenegger</keyword> had shifted careers from bodybuilding, <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/the_hollywood_economist/2005/05/concessions_are_for_girlie_men.html">eventually becoming the highest paid movie star of his time when he did Terminator 3</a>. (Another case of the <a href="https://shubhankar.co/the-past-is-the-future-80c2b88d0355#.velxyyv1n">Past being the Future ?</a>) 
 
Even though I consider myself a WWE fan, The Rock’s best years as a wrestler (1998–2002) coincided with the time I stopped watching WWE (1997–2003). I never actually got to watch The Rock in his prime. 
 
I was therefore curious about how this wrestler had become the biggest movie star in the world and decided to watch some of his segments on YouTube. 
 
I didn’t realize I would uncover a very interesting and yet forgotten chapter in history and lessons that can be learned from a true legend. 
 
Did you know that there was a time, not too long ago when the WWE was not the leading wrestling brand, and that its very existence was threatened by a larger, more popular, and better funded competitor ? 
 
Yes, it’s true. 
 
Back in the late 1990s, the dominant wrestling company was in fact World Championship Wrestling (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Championship_Wrestling">WCW</a>), owned by media mogul <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_Turner">Ted Turner</a>, and whose flagship show was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WCW_Monday_Nitro">WCW Monday Nitro</a> (Which, you might realize, is a rather clever phonetic play on WWE’s Monday Night Raw). 
 
WCW’s popularity was driven by their risqé storylines and deep pockets that allowed them to poach most of the top wrestlers of the time, such as Hulk Hogan, Macho Man, and the Hitman ( My decision to stop watching WWE was prompted by the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal_Screwjob">Hitman’s infamous exit in 1997</a> ). 
 The rivalry between <keyword id="826239" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="WWE-Raw">WWE Raw</keyword> &amp; WCW Nitro is now popularly referred to as “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monday_Night_Wars">Monday Night Wars</a>” — A phase where each show was locked in intense competition to better the other’s ratings. 
 
Starting from late 1996, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monday_Night_Wars">WCW Nitro beat WWE Raw in the ratings for 84 consecutive weeks</a>. 
 
The story seemed awfully similar to a theme that investors and entrepreneurs believe themselves to be familiar with : A stronger and better-funded firm crushing a weaker (and weakening) opponent. 
 
But this story had a very different ending. 
 
 
 
(<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/comments/1sgy5y/its_back_baby_markout_monday/">Image source</a>) 
 
Might The Rock have had a say in this dramatic reversal ? 
 
The turning point came in 1998, when the WWE embarked on a highly edgy campaign, which is now recognized as one of the greatest plays in marketing and branding — <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attitude_Era">The Attitude Era</a> : A series of characters and stories that were designed to inspire shock and awe. 
 
But a campaign as audacious as this would not have been even remotely plausible without its two leading protagonists : <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Cold_Steve_Austin">“Stone Cold” Steve Austin</a>, and The Rock executing their roles to perfection. 
 
(Is it a coincidence that both these characters adopted names inspired from geological formations ?) 
 
Eventually, not only did the WWE beat WCW in the Monday Night Wars, it went on to acquire it in a distress sale, and today exists as a near monopolistic leader in the Wrestling entertainment business. 
 
(How competition, or the lack of it [in a monopoly setting], affects the quality and the customer satisfaction that businesses deliver upon is a subject I intend to cover in a future post) 
 
What is it about The Rock that allowed him to, almost single-handedly, not only save the WWE, but completely rewrite the course of an entire industry, and then also become a trailblazer as a movie star ? 
 
I dug in to try and answer this question and found a video where The Rock revealed what he felt were his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYzBxqYum6I">top 10 rules for success</a>, and should you have the time, the 15-minute video is absolutely worth the watch. 
 
For this post though, I decided to throw the spotlight on what I felt were the two rules that every entrepreneur and VC investor could relate to : 
 
Be Yourself 
 
It might seem ludicrous now, but there was a time when The Rock wasn’t popular with the fans. 
 
Why ? And what changed since then ? 
 
Watch the video below for The Rock’s own account : 
 
 
 
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeSwVWKJ0CA">(Video Source)</a> 
 
Just two words that are so powerful (and no, I am not referring to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-Generation_X#Suck_it.21">D-Generation X’s taunt</a>) — Be Yourself 
 
Borrowing from The Rock’s own words, are you trying to shove a version of yourself (or your business) down your customer’s throats, that isn’t really you? 
 
And what did “being yourself” mean to The Rock ? 
 
Here is an entertaining throwback : 
 
 
 
(<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5UzUHaTpSY">Video Source</a>) 
 
Yes, it is extraordinary silly and juvenile. 
 
But it cannot be denied that the segment has been executed with extraordinary theatrical skill, and a rather distinctive quality that is endearing because it bears The Rock’s signature style. 
 
A style that allowed The Rock to enchant the millions (and millions!) of his fans. 
 
See the Potential in Others 
 
How often have we judged someone negatively based on an initial fact-check or evidence of negative conduct ? It might, in fact, be one of the de facto aspects of every VC investor’s job description (Not to call the kettle black, I most certainly am guilty of this myself) 
 
Perhaps there is merit in <a href="https://shubhankar.co/why-humility-is-an-unfair-advantage-c216ef54cd95#.vfe9ge1e2">swallowing the humble pie</a> and giving everyone a fair chance as The Rock found out himself 
 
 
 
(<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8D2eTmHG4I">Video Source</a>) 
 
The Rock’s rise to the top was no fluke. It was in fact, richly deserved, and inevitable. 
 
So, do you smell what The Rock is cooking ? 
 
Have you read my debut book <a href="http://books.juggernaut.in/#/details/3200b1f8637f4a68865fe5f7a8e8c76f">“VCs are from Venus, Entrepreneurs are from Mars”</a> yet ? 
 
For more of such posts, head to <a href="https://shubhankar.co/">Shubhankar.co</a> 
 
(Main Image: Indiatimes)

You Searched For "wcws" and got 5 results

The breakout star of the Women's College World Series pitched hours after a gruesome injury caused her toenails to fall off

Meredith Cash

The hero of Oklahoma's World Series comeback led her team to a win after dislocating her finger and popping it back in while on base

Meredith Cash

An unexpected move enabled one of softball's greats to 'pass the torch' before hanging up her cleats for good

Meredith Cash

Oklahoma and Florida played a wild World Series Game that had 496 pitches, 40 strikeouts, and both starters returned in the end as relievers

Tyler Lauletta

Be The Rock

Shubhankar Bhattacharya

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