As my wife and I sat amongst the other 104,000-plus Penn State fans after last night's come-from-behind triumph over Northwestern, I couldn't help but be engulfed by the enormity of it all. We had witnessed history, and, as the camera flashes exploded around the stadium, I knew that everyone there wanted to capture a piece of it, a momento to take with them forever. After all, we had witnessed an amazing comeback, a victory stolen in a game spiraling toward failure. Instead, the Nits, driven by the fearless play of a never-say-die, former walk-on QB, rose up with a fire and heart reminiscent of Joe Paterno's life.
It was eerie how this win happened, too, almost as if it were fated. The Wildcats controlled the ball--and the game's tempo--early on, and, after the purple-clad visitors went up by three scores, I couldn't help but feel that a repeat beatdown, like that handed out by Illinois, was in the works. I even said to my wife near the end of the first half, "If we don't score here and Northwestern scores again after the half, we're out of here." And fans around me seemed to feel the same way, calling for better coaching, better play calling, and better athletes. If nothing else, we're a fickle bunch, we modern college football fans, satiated by nothing less than a win.
Instead, we were given a lesson and a reminder. We were given a lesson about heart and tenacity, even in the face of incredible adversity. And we were given a reminder of why we, 104,000-plus fans, had come to the Beav on that day and why innumerable others watched on TV sets around the country. We wanted to watch JoePa attain this glorious milestone because we love what he stands for, how he built this program, and his selfless devotion to his athletes. But to be totally honest, we were there for ourselves, too. We wanted to share in the glory and be lifted up with Joe and the Lions after the win. And that's why we're so fickle...because we feel as if we have an investment here, too. A PSU loss is a loss for us, too, and so we gripe and boo and complain when things don't go our way. But then a blue-collar West Scranton kid, a kid who just wants to win and have fun, came to the rescue and lifted his team, his aging coach, and all of Nittany Nation on his back. And he was the reminder of why we love sports, for in his actions we saw that which we hope to embody. We saw his passion, his persistence, and his excitement, and we shared in the moment. We were a part of the team and experienced their highs and elation. For a few fleeting moments last night, who we were in our regular lives, the challenges we faced, and the despair we might face didn't matter. We were winners, JoePa was our coach, and we loved every second of it. Such is the transcendence of sport.
For a related link, see this clip from Vision Quest that discusses the transcendence of sport.
No comments:
Post a Comment