I'm a big UT fan and while I've griped (recently even) about what I think are bad calls and even gone so far as to "booooooooo!" officials at the stadium, I understand that there is a point where you have to let go and move on.
For example, while I'm still irritated about the penalty that reversed a defensive touchdown for the Vols in Saturday's loss to Florida, at no point did I think, "You know I should find out his name, address and phone number of the official, call him up and make death threats."
But there are some fans out there who I guess have nothing better to do or lost a lot of money on the game who will do just that. For example,
the people calling up replay official Gordon Riese about his "missed call" on replay in the Oklahoma vs Oregon game. The call that was not overtuned led to Oregon coming from behind to win the game by one point.
Which, I realize if you're an Oklahoma fan, it's not fair and is a bad thing. But honestly is it worth making a grown man so jittery and nuerotic that he can't sleep and has to have his wife who is a nurse check his blood pressure every few hours? And to call up the man and make death theats? Honestly, I don't understand what wiring goes loose in your head that makes anyone think this kind of behavoir is in any way acceptable.
Are we missing the whole concept of what it means to be good sports, to show dignity and class in both winning and losing?
I do admit I was amused that Oklahoma tried to get the results of the game thrown out. I filed that one under the "yeah, as if" category.
Here's the hard reality--if Oklahoma had played a better game and made plays down the stretch like they should have, they would have won the game. Just like if UT had made some plays and not abandoned the game plan that was working for the first two and a half quarters on offense, they might have got another touchdown or field goal Saturday night to beat the Gators. But it didn't happen and while it's terribly disappointing and frustrating, you have to let it go and move on.
You can't play shouda, woulda, coulda too much. Otherwise, I"d be married to Sarah Michelle Gellar and living on my island somewhere in the South Pacific...
posted by Michael Hickerson at 9/19/2006 02:04:00 PM |
|
