Two things mark the end of summer in many households of Central New York— the Fair and Syracuse Football. I've had my Giannelli sausage sandwich, my 25 cent milk, stood dumbfounded before a butter sculpture, and wondered why anyone would pay to see the world's smallest woman (she can fit in the palm of your hand!). And then I took the trek down I-90 to Akron, Ohio to watch the first kickoff of the 2010 season. The trees are still green and it's still warm when the sun is out, but summer is as much a state of mind as it is a description of landscapes and weather patterns. I know the astronomical calendar disagrees, but for me, and for my kids, busy prepping their backpacks for the first day of school as I type this, summer is over and fall is here. My favorite season heralds the coming of my favorite sport. Fall and football. Can one even exist without the other?
Roughly a year ago, two words ended my first post about Syracuse Football following the disappointing loss to Minnesota— We Believe. I tried to encapsulate the community's state of mind, at least as it pertained to Syracuse Football, its new coach, and the tough road ahead for both. There would be no miracle turnaround, no quick fixes, no savior recruit -- just hard work, attention to detail, and a vision of brighter days. I think it's still an accurate portrayal, a year later, and just a few days removed from a convincing win at Akron. But with each accomplishment the program makes, our faith is no longer blind. We can see the road ahead, and the destination is clearly marked. How long it takes to get there… is still anyone's guess.
I think it's evident that people are jumping on for the ride. There was a good-sized contingent of Orange-clad faithful in Akron. Maybe a third of the total attendance for the day was Syracuse fans. And what a beautiful day it was, despite some gusting wind and clouds that kept hiding the sun. The Akron campus was expansive and impressive in many ways, not the least of which was their new football stadium, which had nice, wide concourses, and a grassy hill behind one end zone where fans sat and enjoyed the game. They even blew off a few fireworks as the Zips trotted onto the field to start the game -- A nice touch.
I think I mentioned it, but I love football. No offense to Abner Doubleday, but I just think football is a uniquely American sport. It's truly a team game. And it requires the most out of its coaches. Execution is ultimately what wins games, but without strategy and preparation, is execution even possible? Honestly, I could enjoy watching just about any level of football from my son's Pop Warner Tiny Mites, to high school, college, and the pros. But college is my clear favorite, and I think it's because of the mixture of two key ingredients -- magnificent talent and amateurism. These outstanding athletes are still playing for the love of the game and you can see it as they jog onto the field before kickoff, barely able to contain the bounce in their step. Nothing illustrates this more than
Prince-Tyson Gulley's first kick-off return in the first college game of his career. The whistle blows, the kicker starts forward at a lope and then a run until he boots the ball high into the air. Prince-Tyson (I hope Dome management is already perusing the rockstars greatest hits -- because this kid is going to need a theme song) catches the ball and sprints straight into the heart of the kick coverage. A diving, shoestring tackle prevents him from perhaps breaking his first college kick-off return. Prince-Tyson pops up and sprints off the field, his hands low to the ground, as if he's low-fiving long lines of well-wishers. His audible shout of joy can be heard in the stands.
And so begins the end of summer.
