This post is a bit overdue. Despite the fact I am a die-hard OU Sooners fan, I broke rank to cheer (first and only time) for Texas in the National Championship Game. Why would I cheer for my team’s #1 rival? Supporting the overall cause and footprint of the Big 12, of course.
I digress…
Several people watched this game. I know who you are…I was watching those tweets. It was a nail biting game and, unfortunately, a bitter end for Texas, especially for Colt McCoy who watched his last game in a Texas uniform from the sideline. This game reminded me of how our OU Sooner team began this season with our star quarterback out of the first game due to injury and dreams for a great season dashed. Despite the hand he was dealt, McCoy handled the loss with such dignity.
In a post-game interview, McCoy said this:
“I love this game. I have a passion for this game. I have done everything I can to contribute to my team. And we made it this far and it is unfortunate I didn’t get to play. I would have given everything I had to be out there with my team, but...Congratulations, Alabama. I love the way our team fought. Gary Gilbert stepped in and played as good as he could play. He did a tremendous job. I always give God the glory. I never question why things happen the way they do. God is in control of my life. An I know, if nothing else, I am standing on the rock.”
McCoy could have shaken his fist and yelled and screamed while blaming one person or another for his misfortune. Yet, he did not.
The majority of us have a passion for this space, the communities we engage and the content we create. There is no question of this. Yet, so many want to lash out and label the level of passion or knowledge each of us possess. Any misstep is an opportunity for blood. Rather than viewing these experiences as lessons we could all learn from, the judgment hammer comes down hard. Often this hammer is slammed from behind the safety of a computer screen and keyboard.
I challenge all of us to reserve such impulse and anonymous judgment. We are all students of this space and of life. We are learning to be better professionals and overall…better people. We aren’t slugging it out like those on the football field, but I know some days I end up as black and blue as those guys that are protected by pads and tossing the pigskin.
