Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Gearin' Up
It’s been a long time since I’ve stepped onto an ultimate field, and I’m definitely looking forward to crushing Stanford like we did at Centex (Hey Dave, peaches aren’t in season. We will own you. Oh, and my parents say hi). But I’ll be saving my preview for next week.
Boys, it’s time to get excited again. Winter is almost over, and a long hibernation should make you hungry for one thing: competition. We aren’t 100% yet, and it’s evident in our practices. Yes, we’re a solid team, but there’s no fire. No excitement. What are you playing for? Are you a tired old vet just looking to finish what he started? I hope not.
We each need to find that motivation, that spark, that fire. Joel supplied it for the past three years with his command on the field. Pat brought it with his refusal to give up no matter how many points we were down. Pappy brought it with his screaming. They had help too. The rest of the team bought into it. When they sparked, the whole team caught fire, and we left our opponents roasting in that inferno. And it was FUN. Having the energy is fun. Executing our game plan is fun. And rolling over chumps is fun.
We’ve got less than two weeks to bring it back. Let’s make Vegas fun.
Ps bet on black and the number 6.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
From Bad News Springs Hope
Whoa. The team has received enough letters of resignation in this past week. It’s sad to see these men go. You may hate them for it or be upset about it or do your best to talk them out of it. (Seriously Chuck, you said you were superman. Last I checked, Superman could go from Florida to Champaign in a matter of seconds). But the decision is theirs to make, and as a teammate and a friend, we must respect that decision.
As team, we also have a decision. We have the decision to continue our pursuit of this game. We have the decision to show up to as many practices as we can and give as much effort as possible. I, for one, intend to make that decision. Yes, I have other obligations. You can’t plan a wedding with someone and never see them for four months. Sorry guys, but none of you are prettier than her. This may mean missing a few Friday practices and a tournament or two, but I’m still gonna be a damn good teammate.
This team isn’t one person. It’s everyone. If you’re slacking, there’s somebody there to pick up that slack. Eventually it’ll be your turn to put in the extra effort for somebody else. Yes, it would be nice if everyone was 100% dedicated, but that’s impossible. No single individual can give 100% of their time to a game, but that’s why we have a team. I’m proud to call myself a part of this team.