In the 1986 film Hoosiers, coach Norman Dale (played by Gene Hackman), is hired to coach the basketball team at tiny Hickory High School in Hickory, Indiana in the early-mid 1950s. As anyone with half a brain knows*, basketball is somewhat important to the people of Indiana. As an “outsider,” Coach Dale was beginning from a disadvantageous position. When he immediately set about coaching the team in an unorthodox manner (closed practices, no shooting during practice, four passes before every shot), the townspeople are outraged.
Of course, the primary concern among the townspeople was whether Jimmy Chitwood would play for Hickory — he was considered by many to be the best high school basketball player they’d ever seen. The deceased coach replaced by Dale had been something of a father figure to Jimmy, and he and his guardian decided that he’d be better served not playing basketball — this despite his much heralded gift for the game. Significant pressure was placed on Coach Dale to somehow lure Jimmy back to the team; his guardian, Ms. Fleener (played by Barbara Hershey) warned Dale away.
Finally, Coach Dale approaches Jimmy. He (Jimmy) is shooting 16 foot jumpers, sinking one after the other, on a backyard hoop, in solitude. Coach Dale walks over and — while Jimmy continues shooting, says:
You know, in the ten years that I coached, I never met anybody who wanted to win as badly as I did. I'd do anything I had to do to increase my advantage. Anybody who tried to block the pursuit of that advantage, I'd just push 'em out of the way. Didn't matter who they were, or what they were doing. But that was then. You have special talent, a gift. Not the school's, not the townspeople, not the team's, not Myra Fleener's, not mine. It's yours, to do with what you choose. Because that's what I believe, I can tell you this: I don't care if you play on the team or not.
Jimmy remains silent. The only evidence of his having even acknowledged Coach’s presence was that immediately after Coach finished speaking and walked away, Jimmy missed a shot. It was the only shot he missed in the sequence.
It’s Bernie Sanders’ decision as to what he wants to do with his campaign from this point on. It’s not up to Jane Sanders, or Tad Devine, or Jeff Weaver, or supporters of Senator Sanders’ campaign.
It’s also up to Senator Sanders as to how he wants to proceed with regards to his relationship with the Democratic Party, be it between now and the convention, at the convention, between the convention and the election, and afterwards. He has a message and a series of political positions that have resonated with a goodly number of people. It is up to he — and he alone — to decide how best to marshall the considerable resources he’s amassed going forward.
Because that’s what I believe, I can tell you this: I don’t care if Bernie Sanders drops of of this race or not.
*See Cruz, Ted