"It's just a game..."
If I had a nickel for every time I heard "It's just a game" after my team just lost a heart-stopping game, I would be swimming in a sea of copper Thomas Jefferson's. Sports is a great distraction from the world and it's a perfect reason to party, but if our team doesn't win don't tell me, "We'll get 'em next time" or "While they sit there in fame and glory, I have to wake up for work tomorrow". If it truly is just a game then why were you excited during it? Why were you even watching? We pay cable to watch the game, if it truly is just a game, let's not worry about sports packages for cable. You never hear it when a victory occurs, it's never just a game when your team wins that game and keeps you happy for the rest of the day.
I get very salty about this conversation as a diehard sports fan...but I'm not the only one.
Sure, I'll admit that in professional sports, this phrase is appropriate to say at times, because NFL players make loads of money. I know that they get pissed off and frustrated after a loss, but most of them have enough financial security to get over that loss, especially the stars of the league, with expensive cars, clothes, and anything flashy. My mom would always say they're going to go out and eat steak and lobster, to which I'm sure isn't a lie. As somebody who recently just got a new job that pays salary and uncapped commission, I understand that I'm getting paid regardless of what occurs at my job. Recently, Green Bay Quarterback Aaron Rodgers just signed a four-year, $134 million contract that includes $100 million guaranteed! If Rodgers started to play bad or got injured, he's got the money to back him up. The same can't be said in collegiate sports!
After the Huskies lost a gut-wrenching game to the Oregon Ducks back on October 13, all of the team knew its chance at the College Football Playoff was more than dead, especially the seniors. I continue to see flashbacks of Jake Browning holding his hands over his neck (see cover photo) as he saw his last shot at returning to the CFP die after that OT loss. It hurt for guys like Browning because he's a senior, he is ineligible to return to college football next year as he'll graduate and hope to have a career in the NFL. The same goes for stud seniors like Myles Gaskin, Greg Gains, JoJo McIntosh, Tevis Bartlett, and Ben Burr-Kirven. These kids aren't getting paid, who the hell knows if they get "under the table" incentives, but heartbreaking losses are games they'll remember because their name will be marked in the schools record books, with no cash to show for it.
NFL players want to win too, they get heartbroken over a loss like all athletes do, but they're still getting some money in the process...or loads of money if you're a star.
As somebody who is about the same age as college athletes, I get why losses sting harder than anything else. Browning, I feel your pain. It's a hard reality to face, but the fact that kids like Browning or Gaskin don't get another shot at Oregon, or that they lost a chance at the CFP during their last year of eligibility at the end of the season is sad. However, we should not take away the overall extraordinary performances that these kids have given us while playing college ball. We've seen some dark days of football at UW over the years, but from day one as a true freshman, Jake Browning worked his butt off all the way up until his senior year to get UW to relevance, with the help of Head Coach, Chris Petersen. UW won the Pac-12 Championship my junior year at UW in 2016, and the wins felt bigger while attending, the same could be said about how bad the losses hurt too. The seniors and other teammates shouldn't hang their heads too low, there is still a shot for the Pac-12 Championship (thanks WSU) and even if worse comes to worse, we'll remember the great moments the seniors left while playing for UW.
We have to put ourselves in other peoples shoes. Perhaps losing to Oregon is just a game, but it's also a moment that these kids will remember for the rest of their lives. Super Bowl XLIX was the worst loss I've ever watched in sports, and I know guys like Richard Sherman couldn't sleep for weeks after that (hence the slow decline of the original LOB). At the same time, I'm sure he slept happier with tons of sponsors and a fat stack of cash in his contract, something a college athlete can't relate with.
10/27/18 Huskies & 10/28/18 Seahawks Predictions:
The Huskies didn't run away from Colorado until late in the game, but managed to hang on and avenge last week's loss to Oregon. UW travels to CAL where they'll get tested, but should escape with a win, with a huge home game against Stanford the following week. UW 30 CAL 17
The Seahawks are coming off their bye and should have KJ Wright and TE Ed Dickson back to help a team that is feeling good at 3-3. This game against Matt Stafford and the Lions will make or break my high hopes on the Seahawks as the 10AM start after a bye against a cannon like Stafford just screams loss...I hope I'm wrong! *Fingers crossed* SEA 24 DET 23
