It’s Still A Game

I was very disappointed to see four different college football games end with brawls on Thanksgiving weekend.  In each case, the winning visitors tried to plant their University’s flag in the home team’s midfield logo.  How did this become a ritual?  This is both wrong and stupid.

In 1995, Gary Barnett took over the reins of Northwestern’s football program.  He handed out hats to all the players that said “Expect Victory”.  Since Northwestern had not had a winning season in modern history and was considered by all to be the worst college football team in the country, the hat was very humorous.  The opening game was in Southbend against the highly touted “Fighting Irish”.  ND was at least a 30 point favorite.  In his pregame speech Barnett said: “Look, when we beat these guys, don’t put me on your shoulders and carry me off the field.  That will tell everyone that we did not expect to win the game.  Just walk out to midfield and shake the losers’ hands.”  Gary was truly expecting victory.  He got the fantastic upset and his team followed his instructions.  When the winning team runs out on the field after the game is over with some ridiculous exuberance or stupid ritual, they tell everyone that they are totally surprised that they won the game.

And it still is a game.  One team wins and one team loses every time.  It isn’t life and death.  It’s a game within the structure of a sport.  My Michigan team prides themselves in good sportsmanship.  How does planting a flag at Ohio Stadium show sportsmanship?  You pulled off an incredible upset.  The results speak for themselves.  Shake hands or calmly walk to your locker room. The “Game” is over, end of story.  In game seven of the 1965 World Series, Curt Flood slipped while trying to field a line drive in center field.  As a result, the Tigers took the lead and beat the Cardinals.  Curt felt bad about the physical error but his post game comment put it in perspective.  “I am truly sorry that this happened but its not my life and not my wife so I’m not going to worry about it.”  Curt recognized that even the seventh game of the World Series is still just a game.

I know, you’re thinking that college football has always been emotional.  Fans have been tearing down goal posts after big victories since Knute Rockne was a head coach.  In fact, I took part in this festivity when we beat Ohio State in Bo Schembechler’s inaugural season.  For several hours, I had been warming myself with a flask or two of schnapps.  Storming the field and attacking the goal posts seemed like the right thing to do when the Wolverines won.  The celebration for me was one sided.  I didn’t harass any Buckeye fans and I wasn’t nearly drunk enough to confront any of the OSU players.  I was just over joyed with the victory.  The fans stormed the field and the fans tore down the goal posts.  The football team was certainly celebrating but they were not going after anyone from Ohio or helping with the disassembly of the goal posts.  No poor sports here.

When we won the game.  The competition and confrontation was over.  For me, then and now, if we win a game, I am happy.  If we lose, even to the Useless Nuts from Ohio, I am sad.  I am sad all the way back to the tailgate.  Then I am happy again.  Hey, it’s just a game.  

So winning or losing, even if we are not the actual competitors, has been distorted.  

This perverse view of the consummate importance of winning is spilling over to other aspects of our lives.  We were playing what I thought was a friendly game of euchre while the Turkey was roasting for Thanksgiving.  After edging us out ten to nine, one of our opponents jumped up on the table and mooned us.  It took the edge off my appetite.  Missing a backhand on the pickle ball court could be grounds for divorce.  Not happy with your quarterback?  You have to go out and buy another one.  Any spending level is justified by winning ball games.  

No doubt, a number of Ohio State fans will be miserable until next November.  If we beat them again it could be dark for another year.  In fact, none of the fans are even participating in the competition that is causing all of the angst.  Sportsmanship is not part of the equation.  Winning is all that matters.

Michigan fans are no better. Going into the 2023 football season, I heard a lot of “Jim Harbaugh owes us a National Championship!  If he can’t deliver, we need to dump him”.  Jim didn’t owe us anything.  No one is entitled to winning, especially if they are not actually playing the game. Far more important than winning, Jim ran a clean program and he acted in the best interest of his players.  The really great irony is that Jim did deliver a championship and he dumped us.    

So I believe that flag planting and brawls are wrong and stupid.  I miss the days when I could watch a game and feel good when my team gave it their best shot, played by the rules and showed good sportsmanship.  Win or lose, the competition ended when the clock ran out.  Now, winning itself is not enough.  You have to plant your flag in your opponent’s logo.  A loss is truly one of the worst things that could happen to a bunch of people who are not even playing the game.   

I hope that when the NIL and Portal dust settles, I can find a place to watch some amateur sporting events.  After all, it’s still a game.