1. What a great college football game. Two teams dueled it out for 60 minutes. I had posted on the Miami HawkTalk board that, if Byron didn't start, this would be a game for the ages. It's one of the only correct predictions I have ever made.
2. Hoeppner needs to recruit some receivers and then recruit an offensive coordinator that understands that not all passes are required to be either bombs or 5 yard dump offs.
3. Hoeppner needs to quit reading internet bulletin boards. If a post on the freaking internet for god's sake got inside either his head or the head of any of Miami's players or coaches, they need to do some serious reassessment. Suggestion. Spend that time watching game film instead. Let me say this with some emphasis. IT'S THE FREAKIN INTERNET. YOU CAN FIND ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING FROM THE RIDICULOUS TO THE SUBLIME ON HERE BUT YOU CAN'T BELIEVE A DAMN THING. Personally, I learned not to believe everything I read on the internet when I discovered, much to my dismay, and despite the subject line in the spammed email, that hot 18 year old girls really were NOT horny for my fat, 40 year old, balding, bifocal wearing, sorry ass.
4. Both teams left it all on the field. I never saw any quit from either the Miami players or the Marshall players. Two times, Miami is down by double digits. Two times, they come back. Marshall's star player is on crutches and watching from the bench as his backup makes his first college start. Simply as a fan of college football, this was a tremendous game. I actually made that comment to my wife and a friend just after Marshall turned the ball over with about 2:30 left in the game. I felt privileged to watch two very good football teams play hard every single down for an entire game. It was a beautiful thing and I offer my heartfelt congratulations to the players of both teams for playing their hearts out and my thanks for a wonderfully entertaining evening. It's still one of the best games I have ever been privileged to witness - regardless of the outcome.
5. Miami was the victim of some truly atrocious play calling. Playing not to lose will bite you in the behind most of the time. I feel for the Redhawk players and fans.
6. Dammit. When you are on the road, you ABSOLUTELY, CANNOT put yourself in the position where an official's call can have an impact on the outcome of a game. Do that, and just like playing not to lose, you'll come up on the short end of the stick 90% of the time. I recall a 127 yard drive from the Clemson 30 a few years ago in the 4th quarter. Fortunately, unlike Miami, Marshall managed to get the "W" in that one.
7. I've officiated a few sports events in my lifetime. You don't have 18 camera angles and you've got to make a call or a non-call at full speed. Again however, if you're at home, you get the break on those calls. If you're on the road, you don't.
8. I have absolutely no emperical data to support my previous two assertions - nothing but pure anecdotal evidence. Of course, I am also waiting for the emperical data supporting the contention that Marshall had the fix in for the game but I guess I'll need to consult with Oliver Stone on that one. (P.S. A head shot from 150 feet is not terribly difficult. Besides, two of them missed). (P.P.S. "Shows you what one motivated Marine can do with a rifle"). (P.P.P.S. To all Miam fans - "You are pukes. You are the lowest form of life on the planet. You are not even human f#$king beings. You are nothing but unorganized grabasstic pieces of amphibian sh#t.") (P.P.P.P.S. Watch "Mail Call" at 8:00 p.m. on the History Channel for your weekly dose of R. Lee Ermy a.k.a. Gunnery Sergeant Hartman). (P.P.P.P.P.S. Sorry. Got a little carried away with Full Metal Jacket flashbacks and my P.S.'s).
9. Everyone is to blame for what happened after the game. If I were the spiteful type, I would remind Miami of a certain storming of the court after a hard fought victory over Notre Dame. I might also point out, if I were the spiteful type, that the conference uses video of the students storming the court in its national TV commercials. If I were the spiteful type, I might also point out that the fans of this unnamed school were carrying Wally (I can't spell his last name) on their shoulders while on the court. But, I'm not the spiteful type. Ummm, oops. The fans shouldn't have been on the field. Agreed. However, I search my increasingly poor memory in vain for a time when a coach from the losing team has made physical contact with with a fan who rushed the field. Now, vandalism in the coaching booth ain't questionable.
10. I have never hidden the fact that I'm very agnostic. However, seeing how much consternation this game caused Oddball, I'm inclined to change my views and start believeing that there is a God.
11. Rivalries are a good thing. Does anyone believe that the highest attendance in Oxford next year won't be the Marshall game? Does anyone believe the Miami players and coaches won't be totally jacked for the game? Does anyone believe they would rather watch EMU vs. Ball State than Marshall vs. Miami, OH? Didn't think so. Assuming Uncle Sam doesn't have other plans for my time, I'll sees y'all in Oxford next year.
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