Jeff Jones' First NCAA Tourney Berth at ODU is Especially Meaningful
2019年3月19日
Jeff Jones is alone with his thoughts before Saturday's game.
作者:Harry Minium
弗里斯科,德克萨斯
Jeff Jones jumped up to celebrate, hugged his assistant coaches one by one, shook hands with Western Kentucky players and coaches, 然后靠在记者台上，看着他的球员在球场上庆祝.
他不知道的是，哥伦比亚广播公司体育网络摄像机捕捉到了每一秒. 他想起了这么多年来，老多明尼安离分区冠军和NCAA锦标赛入场券如此之近, 结果却事与愿违. 他开始思考自己与前列腺癌近四年的斗争, 这是无法治愈的, and the incredible support he has received from his wife.
在数百万人的注视下，这位一向泰然自若的58岁老人开始捂着毛巾抽泣. 这告诉你他经历了多少，以及他是多么勇敢地面对治疗，这些治疗有可怕的副作用，可以阻止癌症的发展, 但不能治愈它.
He thought about the people at ODU who believed in him, including Athletic Director Wood Selig and President John R. 布罗德里克. And when he hugged his wife Danielle, he cried some more.
Jones said he didn't want to let his emotions get away from him. "I got a little overwhelmed," he said.
周六，在美国西部冠军赛中，俄勒冈州立大学以62-56击败了西肯塔基大学，这是一场典型的琼斯式比赛——一场防守大战，他的球员比更具天赋的山头队更强硬、更泰然.
WKU has had top-20 recruiting classes in each of the last two years, but ODU swept the Hilltoppers this season, including both regular-season games.
现在，八年来，ODU第一次进入NCAA锦标赛. The 14th-seeded Monarchs take on third-seeded Purdue at 9:50 p.m. Thursday (TV: TBS; Radio: ESPN 94.12 .答案:a.潜油电泵失败者.
托特克星是指那些击败高评级对手的球队. 《最靠谱的网赌软件》(USA Today)也加入了众多国家出版物的行列，预测ODU将成为本届锦标赛的第一个“托特克星”.
除了超级碗，NCAA锦标赛可能是美国最受欢迎的体育赛事. Tens of millions of people fill out brackets, and TVs will be on at work and sports bars around the nation. When a mid-major such as ODU upsets a Power 5 school, it's big news.
但现在，ODU在大舞蹈，期待琼斯的生活故事也成为大最靠谱的网赌软件. 电视和报纸记者将开始报道他继续执教的勇敢决定.
He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2015. He learned he was sick quite by chance. 他去验血只是因为他申请了一份新的人寿保险. He had surgery, and doctors took out all they could find.
He then had eight weeks of radiation. I've had the same procedure for prostate cancer. It saps your energy and can cause painful side effects.
Then, in 2017 he learned the cancer had returned. He waited until last fall to tell his players and the public.
医生给他开了药物，和我吃的一样，来阻止癌症的发展. They cause a ton of side effects. They hit me like a ton of bricks.
然而，琼斯坚持自己度过了这个赛季，没有表现出任何外在的不良影响.
"You'd never know he had cancer," guard Ahmad Caver said. "He hasn't slowed down a bit."
我不认为普通粉丝, especially those who've never had cancer, understand just how magnificently Jones performed. ODU是26-8, 其中包括击败当时全美排名的雪城大学和常规赛大西洋10强冠军弗吉尼亚联邦大学.
He says Danielle took a lot of weight off of his shoulders. Once she learned he had cancer, 她全身心地投入到对这种疾病的RESEARCH中，并安排他在约翰霍普金斯大学接受治疗. It's hard to imagine a more loving and smarter caregiver.
She's been to nearly every doctor's appointment with him, 当他被问到是否需要最激进的治疗时, 她替他回答. "The most aggressive,她说.
“有一个你最好的朋友和最亲密的知己和你一起经历这些对我来说意义重大," Jones said "When I say Danee has been with me every step, 这是件大事."
She began a fundraiser as a part of Coaches vs. 为癌症患者筹集资金，当他们需要外地治疗时，可以有一个免费的住所. Jeff and Danielle contributed $13,280, the amount they paid for a test that his insurance declined to cover.
"How many people don't have the $13,000 to drop on one test?她说. "That's when the rage got to me."
The wives of the Coaches Vs. 癌症 movement set a goal of raising $100,000. Danielle has raised more than $75,000 by herself.
Click here to donate to Coaches Vs. 癌症
尽管乳腺癌, 一种更普遍的疾病, 有成百上千的筹款人，成百上千的团队穿着粉色衣服来帮助筹集资金吗, there is little effort to promote awareness of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer has no equivalent of a Bra-ha-ha.
ODU指定在11月与北爱荷华州的主场比赛中，教练和球队穿着浅蓝色, the color for prostate cancer awareness.
“我们想提高人们的意识，因为我很沮丧，他的癌症在接受治疗时已经扩散了,丹妮尔说。.
比赛前, Jeff Jones spoke out publicly, 说男人不喜欢谈论前列腺癌因为它涉及一个与性功能有很大关系的腺体. But left untreated, prostate cancer can be deadly.
"Men over 50 need to get tested," he said.
Jones did not speak during the game. He wanted the focus to be on the court.
而不是, 他参加了中场休息时播放的一段视频，在视频中，所有ODU教练和塞利格都对琼斯和男性避免前列腺癌的方法表示支持.
ODU video promoting prostate cancer awareness
There's little doubt that Jones has coached well at ODU. He is 140-66 in six seasons. That's an average of almost 24 victories per season. 但琼斯两次与NCAA锦标赛擦肩而过，这给他带来了压力.
2015年，帝王队在C-USA锦标赛中早早输给了田纳西州中部. ODU was among the last four teams not to make to the NCAA tournament.
接下来的季节, ODU在C-USA锦标赛中三天内赢了三场比赛，但在决赛中以两场落后于MTSU.
In 2015, Jones took the Monarchs to the NIT semifinals in New York.
塞利格说:“不管怎么说，杰夫·琼斯都是老道明的一位伟大教练。. "And he's shown such courage. He's well-liked and respected throughout the coaching profession.
“我想这周会有很多人支持Jeff和Old Dominion."
琼斯称赞布罗德里克和塞利格去年秋天雇佣了他，并给了他一份续约合同.
“所有的粉丝, 伍德·塞利格和约翰·布罗德里克六年前给了我这个机会, 我真的为他们感到高兴. 有很多人支持我们，我为他们感到高兴。.
"It's not just about the team. It's about, as you said, people in the community. 我们不仅得到了诺福克的大力支持，也得到了整个潮水Community的大力支持. 我特别为球员们感到激动，但我也为很多不同的人感到高兴.
"John 布罗德里克 has been great. He's been right there for us. He's given us such great support. I couldn't ask for a better boss than Wood Selig. And we couldn't ask for better fans.
"It's about all of us, not one or the other. It's about one big Monarch Nation. I'm really, really happy we were able to do this for everyone."
Jones will live with cancer the rest of his life.
“你永远不会听到丹妮尔或我说，‘哦，我们倒霉了，’”他说. “我真的很幸运. I got the test done in time for treatment. Who knows where I would be if I hadn't been tested? 我很幸运能够在经济上支付最好的护理.
“我很幸运能在一所我非常喜欢的大学里指导一群很棒的孩子.
"I'm lucky enough to have a wife like Danee. 我真的很幸运."
