Some reflections
(Note: I'll proofread this in the morning)
Yesterday I suffered two serious emotional blows in succession. The first, of course, was watching USC shoot itself in the foot, handing over the game to a capable and formidable Texas team (the other was on, shall we say a much more personal level). In the end it was the elementary mistakes we made, the ones we'd been taking flack for all season, that did us in.
My first reaction was disbelief...when I watched that clock expire I was hoping against hope for another Notre Dame like miracle. Any minute they'd put nine more seconds on the clock and we'd have one more play to strike it big. After that came anger...how could they beat us? I started making all excuses..their phantom " touchdown" that should not have been, the stupid mistakes we made that should have been touchdowns...our complete failure at our defense to stop Vince Young. And finally...fear...fear of the jeers of the crowds...fear of the taunting chants of those who had hated us from the beginning.
But ones all the reactions had subsided, I was left with one thought: they outplayed us. This wasn't last year's shit-talking Oklahoma team who deserved to fall...Mack Brown was patient last year when many told him he hadn't deserved the Rose Bowl over Cal. He was patient when people told him that he was going to get slaughtered by SC. In fact, you might say he had taken a lesson in humility similar to the admirable way Pete Carroll had simply smiled and shrugged as USC got screwed out of the national championship game two years ago. And Vince Young? He wasn't shit-talked...all he did was go out there and perform...he carried his team to a deserved victory. As much as I hate the fact that they won, you have to admit that after the way they'd played, they deserve it. As for us, we played hard, and for the most part, we put up a good fight. So what if some Trojan-haters try and put us down. There's no shame in losing to the #1 team..
Loss teaches a valuable lesson. It builds character; it's a momento mori. The one thing I now take away from that game is that you cannot be afraid to lose...just do your best and hang your heads high knowing that if you had to lose, you did it squared-shouldered and proud, instead of vindictive and petty.
A lesson I shall soon apply to my second emotional blow. I migiht win; I might lose, but to be paralyzed by fear would cost me much more than going out in a blaze of glory, picking up, and trying again.
Yesterday I suffered two serious emotional blows in succession. The first, of course, was watching USC shoot itself in the foot, handing over the game to a capable and formidable Texas team (the other was on, shall we say a much more personal level). In the end it was the elementary mistakes we made, the ones we'd been taking flack for all season, that did us in.
My first reaction was disbelief...when I watched that clock expire I was hoping against hope for another Notre Dame like miracle. Any minute they'd put nine more seconds on the clock and we'd have one more play to strike it big. After that came anger...how could they beat us? I started making all excuses..their phantom " touchdown" that should not have been, the stupid mistakes we made that should have been touchdowns...our complete failure at our defense to stop Vince Young. And finally...fear...fear of the jeers of the crowds...fear of the taunting chants of those who had hated us from the beginning.
But ones all the reactions had subsided, I was left with one thought: they outplayed us. This wasn't last year's shit-talking Oklahoma team who deserved to fall...Mack Brown was patient last year when many told him he hadn't deserved the Rose Bowl over Cal. He was patient when people told him that he was going to get slaughtered by SC. In fact, you might say he had taken a lesson in humility similar to the admirable way Pete Carroll had simply smiled and shrugged as USC got screwed out of the national championship game two years ago. And Vince Young? He wasn't shit-talked...all he did was go out there and perform...he carried his team to a deserved victory. As much as I hate the fact that they won, you have to admit that after the way they'd played, they deserve it. As for us, we played hard, and for the most part, we put up a good fight. So what if some Trojan-haters try and put us down. There's no shame in losing to the #1 team..
Loss teaches a valuable lesson. It builds character; it's a momento mori. The one thing I now take away from that game is that you cannot be afraid to lose...just do your best and hang your heads high knowing that if you had to lose, you did it squared-shouldered and proud, instead of vindictive and petty.
A lesson I shall soon apply to my second emotional blow. I migiht win; I might lose, but to be paralyzed by fear would cost me much more than going out in a blaze of glory, picking up, and trying again.