Life, Death, and College Football

    I was looking forward to my alma mater's football team visiting Virginia for many years. Maybe four? Whenever it was scheduled. BYU looked impressive after its first two games, and people had them highly ranked. Then, the wheels started to come off. After a shellacking yesterday to the Liberty Flames, I could break down many of the break downs. But today is the Sabbath; there are things deeper than the Xs and Os of the game.

    I was bummed by the atrocious performance of the last three quarters of the game that we drove a far way to attend, but everything else was really nice. The weather, the drive, the food, the interactions with BYU and Liberty people alike. I was also bummed by my IU Hoosiers, that gave up a winnable game. Again. But again, more on the games later. There are more serious things.

    I was scanning other scores at the end of the day, looking for silver linings, like some former opponents that notched good victories, or other teams that I wanted to lose. (There is always a healthy list of those!). At the end of my phone ticker was a postponed game: San Jose State versus New Mexico State. I see these and they are usually weather related. Lightning, or at times heavy storms, thunder or no. I came across the reason shortly. A young player for the SJSU Spartans died of a tragedy.

    He was on an electric scooter that was hit by a bus. Early in the morning. The game in Las Cruces, New Mexico has been cancelled with no make-up date.

    For my team, and game, and event, no one died. We were all right. We will live for another day.

    Not so for young 18 year-old Mr. McWright. May he rest in peace.

    I have known a couple 18 year-olds that have died. Obviously prematurely. Always sad, always unexpected. Except for a few with long term illnesses. Anticipated or not, life is fleeting for too many.

    I have loved college football for a long time, because it offers the promise of vitality and triumph, surviving and scraping to be the ultimate winner at the end of the day, the season. To survive and progress. Win or lose, all involved advance to the next stage, knowing that they gave their all.    

    Some give their all off the field of play, and we shall miss them.

    We hope the best for his family, friends, and teammates. May they triumph in the end, as we hope for his soul in the next realm.