Be Careful What You Wish For.
I have been enamored with football since I began
participating in the game as a young boy.
My first “league” organized effort was at the Miami
Shores (Fla ) Community Center in the 115lb and under
division. I was eleven years old. As kids the neighborhood pic-up game was an
after school staple of our youth and we played tackle with no helmets. My first allegiance to a team was the Miami
Hurricanes and my heroes were Ted Hendricks and George Mira. I remember taking the bus to the Orange Bowl
to watch the Hurricanes play the Florida Gators who had a special quarterback
and Heisman Trophy candidate named Steve Spurrier. Eventually I left south Florida
to attend High School in Tennessee and then
college in Athens , Georgia
Back in the early 2000’s when I was a District Manager with
a local alcoholic beverage wholesaler, I was fortunate to get an insider’s view
of a University of Georgia (UGA) football practice. One of our key beer brands was a sponsor of
Bulldog football radio broadcasts. As an alumnus of UGA and longtime fan of the
program it was an extremely gratifying experience. There were three individuals
who are planted firmly in my memory from that afternoon on the sidelines of
practice and in the reception/dinner afterwards.
The first was a high energy player who seemed to be
omnipresent and everywhere throughout the team drills. He wore #47 and his name was David
Pollack.
The second gentleman happened to be next to me in line at
the buffet that evening. We were the
last two to be served. He is one of my all
time most revered sports personalities and to have been able to meet and converse
with him is something I will always remember. His name was Larry Munson.
The third individual is the man who said the blessing before
the meal: Head Coach Mark Richt. At that time I looked at him in an entirely different
light. I was aware of his strong religious convictions. One thing he would let you know and not be
shy about was his Faith in God. But I
was more interested in his aptitude for generating wins and championships. Back
in those days my faith walk was stalling out, so to speak. You could say I was running, turning away
from God as I am prone to do daily. Over a decade later, I am different now.
Today I find myself in awe of what has occurred in the
course of one calendar week. On Monday (11/30) I was reading sadly about Coach
Richt being fired by UGA. Yes his
Bulldogs had some failings that caused performances below expectations
particularly when measuring Championships.
But I have come to believe that young men in his program are set up,
prepared for life to become solid citizens and assets to the communities they
will reside in. When confronted with his firing I found myself saying to
myself, “Georgia
officials be careful what you wish for….”
I thought the firing was a travesty. I was still confused just a few
days later when on Friday (12/4) I saw a picture of Coach Richt being
introduced as the head coach of the Miami Hurricanes. My first thought was – who really won in this deal?
Mark Richt is also a south Florida boy and alumnus of the U! If there
ever was a series of events that were divinely “meant to be” this career move for
Mark Richt appears to be an example. So allegiances have come back around for
me now as I know I will become a fan of the Hurricanes once again. I don’t know what will happen the first time Miami and Georgia square
off on the gridiron. God Bless you
Brother Mark!
December, 2015
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