FRIDAY OCTOBER 8TH, 2021 COLLEGE FOOTBALL CONTINUED

 FRIDAY OCTOBER 8TH, 2021 COLLEGE FOOTBALL CONTINUED

SCENARIO

Generally, major college football teams play some non-conference games early in the season to get their squad and lineup set.  And, they like to schedule these games at home so that the fans and students get to see their team in action.

For example, the University of Texas played the University of Louisiana - Fayette (and beat them 38 to 13) and also Rice University (and beat them 58 to nothing)!!!  

So, let’s say for next season, the University of Texas schedules Dakota State University for a football game (in Austin).  Contracts are drawn up.  Dakota State will make $1,000,000 for playing in a game that they most likely will lose.  And, if perchance, Dakota State’s football team doesn’t show up, that university will pay $1,000,000 to the University of Texas for being a ‘no-show’.  It’s kind of a ‘win-win’.  Texas football will make 5 to 10 million on television rights, a full stadium, concessions, and Longhorn themes gear.  Dakota State will go back to South Dakota with a million dollars - that will almost pay for all other sports - track, golf, softball, volleyball, etc.

But, dire financial problems in South Dakota have caused Dakota State to cancel its football program - fire the coach, and let sheep graze on the football field.  

But, the University of Texas has a signed contract to play the game and is insisting on having the game.  Dakota State would be faced with a 1 million dollar fine for not playing the game (which would impact the dire financial problems).  So, Dakota State finds 25 students who are willing to take a plane ride to Austin and play the game.  This ragtag group practices a few times in Madison, South Dakota - makes sure all the 25 students have good health insurance - and they take a bus to Sioux Falls to board their plane to Austin.  

On the day of the game, the Darrell K Royal Stadium is full of 100,000 fans in burnt orange (and one fan in Dakota State blue).  Texas wins the coin flip and opts to have the ball first.  Dakota State kicks off and two plays later, Texas scores the first touchdown of the game.  At halftime, the score is 45 to 0; and at the end of the game, the score is 84 to 0.  All 25 on the Dakota State team as sore and some finish on the bench with concussions and other injuries. And, all 78 players that dressed for Texas also played.  The crowd yells and screams at every score, every intercepted pass, every Texas success.  Dakota State goes home with “its tail between its legs - and one million dollars”.

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Well - that is the basis of a story where the home team won 222 to zero.  (That is two-hundred, twenty-two!!!!).  And, part of an illustrative college coaching career!!!

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222-0: The Worst Blowout in College Football History | Mental Floss

Quoting from that link: 

“If that score sounds spiteful, it was. Georgia Tech’s coach, John Heisman—for whom the coveted trophy is named—was reportedly bent on revenge. A year earlier, during the spring of 1915, Cumberland’s baseball club had recruited a handful of semi-professional ballplayers from Nashville and disguised them as college athletes. Boasting a lineup stacked with pros, the little Tennessee college creamed Georgia Tech’s ball club, 22-0.

The defeat garnered national attention, leaving Heisman, who coached both Georgia Tech’s baseball and football teams, humiliated. When he discovered that Cumberland had cheated, he vowed to get payback.

Oddly, Heisman nearly missed his chance. By 1916, Cumberland, a university out of Lebanon, Tennessee, a small town about 30 minutes outside of Nashville, was facing financial difficulties and as such canceled that year's season of football. The football squad’s student manager notified its opponents that, since it would not be fielding a team that season, Cumberland would have to cancel all scheduled games. But Cumberland made a careless mistake—they forgot to brief Georgia Tech. When Cumberland discovered the error, it was too late: They were contractually obligated to play, football team or no football team.”

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There is more to this story (check out the link - as Cumberland’s best play of the day was a six-yard loss, and the players were begging for mercy. ) 

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Okay, so the Heisman trophy is named after a legendary coach of the most lopsided football game in history.  In that game, that coach (John Heisman) got his revenge for the baseball game of the previous year.  

What does that mean to us?  Hmmm - can Pollyanna Karen find anything of value?

One thought might be that “cheaters never win” - Cumberland won the Georgia Tech vs Cumberland baseball game by having “ringers” (players that weren’t students).  

Another thought is that “revenge is sweet”.  Maybe for the victors, but I can think of the victims taking that trip back to their school bruised and broken.  

How about “Even Jerks can get a trophy named after them.”

It might also be a “David vs. Goliath” story, but with the giant winning. 

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I’d like to suggest that humiliating anybody - and especially in public - is not very loving.  We’ve probably seen it.  I’m picturing the mom who has reached the breaking point in the grocery store - who takes off on a child like a vulture attacking roadkill. “You brat, You worthless child.  You terrible no-good whimpering baby.”  Maybe disciplining the child is needed - but (my viewpoint) don’t humiliate them in public.

We all have some problems - maybe the problem is big and obvious, or hidden.  Maybe a loved one is sick, or a friend has been in a terrible car accident and broke every rib (a story from a friend).  

In short, how can we let “LOVE WIN” when there isn’t much love in the world?

Let’s be lovers and not haters!!!

Karen