Matt Richardson: BEST THING THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED

[Brad]

BEST THING THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED

Matt Richardson

SFB and TheBullsPen.com Contributor

I do triathlons.

So what you say?

What does this have to do with USF, FAU or the price of tea in London?

Patience my fine reader friend, patience.

Well, actually it has a lot to do with patience but I am getting ahead of myself.

When I was a young strapping lad in my late twenties, early thirties, I was well on my way to heart attack city. One day the combination of my lovely bride, g-friend at the time, and the boss of my boss at the time spent many an hour talking me into participating in a triathlon. Now this is not to say I went from a couch potato to a triathlon in a single day. But I’m one of those guys that when I get something in my head, I run with it full force until I’m bored and then drop it like bad fumble. So I had been losing some weight and exercising a bit but honestly I was at that point where boredom was starting to creep in. Until that first triathlon that is. Now I am a veteran of 30+ sprint triathlons, a handful of Olympic distance triathlons and I am eyeing my first ½ ironman at some point in the future.

By most people’s standards I am still overweight, fat if you will, but I am no longer on the superhighway to coronary land. Those triathlons were the best thing that could have happened to me. And this has everything to do with USF and FAU however admittedly; this has nothing to do with the price of tea in London.

The Bulls fresh off their win against the Mountaineers, had gotten fat off their string of victories and as much babbling to the contrary that coach good conscience does there are times when young men just turn off reason. Those, now #5 in the nation, Bulls had (may still have) the idea that they can just go into any stadium and throw down their helmets and the other team would simply lie down and die. To cop a pitiful comparison, those Bulls were well on their way to upset city.

Then came FAU and those mighty Owls just wouldn’t lie down and die. 7-0, 7-7, 14-7, 14-14, 21-14, 21-17, those Owls just wouldn’t give up and realization of a potential upset started to set in. At 28-23 and a two point conversion looming, a realization became a nightmarish inevitability. But then that two point conversion flopped harmlessly to the ground and the Owls never really threatened again.

Oh those Bulls tried to give them time to score as with 6:30 left in the game, rather than run the ball and the clock, ole Rod Smith showed up and threw the ball twice, both ended up being incompletions. Even with the score still 28-23, and only 2:45 left those Bulls still tried to throw the ball. With the power of the Bull running attack that day combined with a 3rd and only three, a pass in that situation is unexplainable.

But yet the Bulls defense prevailed once again, stopping the Owls on 4th down. Benjamin Williams, who BTW doesn’t get enough praise by neither the fans nor this writer, scooted into the end zone for his fourth touch of the day to finally put this one away.

This challenge by an undermanned but gutsy, scrappy team almost cost the Bulls dearly. But it didn’t. The Bulls got a very valuable wake up call/lesson and it cost them nothing. It could have cost them everything. Now hopefully, with eyes wide open to the possibilities, both great and terrible, the team can continue on its march through the season. If they stumble, so be it, but it won’t be due to hubris. This team has gotten off their own demonic superhighway.

And what about patience?

I offer this, triathlons take a long time, most people don’t workout as long as a triathlon. Most arguments, moments of hatred, anger or personal trials and tribulations, don’t take as long as a triathlon. A triathlon teaches, and has taught me, patience of which I am still learning.

So I say patience to the coaching staff that wants to get 99 yards every play, I say patience to Grothe and his receiving corp. who would like 300 yards passing a game. I say patience to Mike Ford who wants to be a man before he finishes being a teen. I say patience to all Bulls fans, especially those screaming for Mike Ford’s entry into a game where when after all was said and done there was record breaking rushing attack led by a guy not named Mike Ford. And I say patience to everyone who is demanding perfection from this young team. Remember, most, if not all of this team is being thrust in the national spotlight for the first time. They have learned a lot in the past 9 days about their unique situation.

And they are still learning.

[Rizman]

Well said.  I hope every player read it and now understands it comes down to focus.

[USF-PMR]

Nice read; individuals gain statistics but teams win games!  Teams include coaches, student/athletes, and yes in my book, fans!

[TRUTH D. Antagonist]

are u saying the Bulls are overweight???