The Big Game

Hubby and I are loyal fans of the Montana State Bobcats.  Thanks to Hubby’s nephew Paul, we had two of the most coveted football tickets in the state of Montana—today’s archrivalry between the Bobcats and the University of Montana Grizzlies. But when a storm brought snow, icy roads and bitter cold, I opted to stay home, babysit the animals, and watch the game from my recliner. Hubby, who’s considerably braver than I, not to mention a great deal more zealous for his team, risked life and limb (to accident or frostbite) and made the pilgrimage alone.

I’m no football analyst, so I can’t say exactly what went wrong for the Bobcats, except everything. Not a single player on the team played his position with his usual assurance and pizzaz. The final score was a dismal and embarrassing 36-10! Needless to say, the Bobcats are no longer rated No.1 in the conference, although they are still expected to earn a spot in the playoffs. Their coach is a smart, classy, character-oriented guy, so I’m sure he didn’t scream at his already-disgraced team in the locker room following the game. Still, I wonder what he did say. Maybe he quoted some well-known, wise and witty coaches….

·         “Adversity is the state in which man most easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.” John Wooden

·         “You’re never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you’re never as bad as they say when you lose.” Lou Holtz

·         “If you make every game a life-and-death thing, you’re going to have problems. You’ll be dead a lot.” Dean Smith

There’s nothing like a good wisecrack to put things in perspective! 

“Then the God who lifts up the downcast lifted our heads and our hearts….”

                                   2 Corinthians 7:6-7