Choices affect games, reputation
Paige Carswell
Issue date: 11/18/09 Section: Personal Column
Imagine you have some of the worst grades in the school-as a matter of fact, you have close to the worst in school history.
Imagine that you can't quite figure out why, even though you study (kind of, in between the drinking and partying) all summer.
Now, imagine that you finally get a "B" on a paper and expect everyone to bow to you when you walk around campus.
It seems ridiculous if you think about it, but then you remember the football team.
After going 1-9 last year, narrowly escaping the worst record in school history, the team went into this season with hopes of a brighter future. The problem is that you can't just dream of having a brighter future-you have to make it.
So, perhaps it didn't make sense at the beginning of the season when there were football players seen drunk on the night before a game, despite their 0-5 record. It probably didn't make sense, either, that they chose to "celebrate" any losses that were less than 30 points.
Heck, it probably didn't make sense that they "celebrated" losses that were more than 30 points.
In any matter, that was the football team this season, until they finally won a game. After that, things really went downhill.
Walking around the campus bragging that you "might be able to have a 4-6 record at the end of the season" is absurd, but it's even more absurd that instead of trying to make yourself better, you would spend your time drinking and weighing down your body for the next game.
Now, if I put myself in the shoes of a football player, I would probably be slightly discouraged. I would probably wonder what it would take to be better and win.
There are players who actually try to make themselves better and focus their efforts to better the team. If I was one of them, I'd be disappointed in some of my teammates.
The players who make people ashamed of Southwestern football are the ones waiting for the next Saturday night to roll around instead of focusing on everything Saturday afternoon. Instead of going over their playbook, they go over to the freshmen women's dorm.
Imagine that you can't quite figure out why, even though you study (kind of, in between the drinking and partying) all summer.
Now, imagine that you finally get a "B" on a paper and expect everyone to bow to you when you walk around campus.
It seems ridiculous if you think about it, but then you remember the football team.
After going 1-9 last year, narrowly escaping the worst record in school history, the team went into this season with hopes of a brighter future. The problem is that you can't just dream of having a brighter future-you have to make it.
So, perhaps it didn't make sense at the beginning of the season when there were football players seen drunk on the night before a game, despite their 0-5 record. It probably didn't make sense, either, that they chose to "celebrate" any losses that were less than 30 points.
Heck, it probably didn't make sense that they "celebrated" losses that were more than 30 points.
In any matter, that was the football team this season, until they finally won a game. After that, things really went downhill.
Walking around the campus bragging that you "might be able to have a 4-6 record at the end of the season" is absurd, but it's even more absurd that instead of trying to make yourself better, you would spend your time drinking and weighing down your body for the next game.
Now, if I put myself in the shoes of a football player, I would probably be slightly discouraged. I would probably wonder what it would take to be better and win.
There are players who actually try to make themselves better and focus their efforts to better the team. If I was one of them, I'd be disappointed in some of my teammates.
The players who make people ashamed of Southwestern football are the ones waiting for the next Saturday night to roll around instead of focusing on everything Saturday afternoon. Instead of going over their playbook, they go over to the freshmen women's dorm.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 29
#18
posted 11/18/09 @ 9:10 AM CST
I like how u choice to criticize the football team and seem as if we actually care wat u think of us....you seem very interested and airing our personal life, but yours definitely isn't so squeaky clean. (Continued…)
SC#18
#18
posted 11/18/09 @ 9:20 AM CST
Im glad that u think that the football team or anyone else actually cares if u respect them. why should we? this article is coming from a person who has to fix herself before she can say anything about anyone else. (Continued…)
dylan hackmann
posted 11/18/09 @ 10:31 AM CST
this article is bull(expletive deleted), you have no idea what we do in the off season and summer to prepare for the season. we put it at least 2 hours a day in the off season. (Continued…)
Caitlin Smith
posted 11/18/09 @ 10:52 AM CST
I have a few things I'd like to say about your column. First of all, I appreciate you standing up as an athlete for what you believe to be as appropriate and inappropriate behavior. (Continued…)
SC Supporter
posted 11/18/09 @ 2:53 PM CST
I have a lengthy comment to make, so bear with me here.
First off, if you are a football player and commenting on this article, I understand you being upset, but, do me a favor and at least run your comment through spell check before posting. (Continued…)
Tristan Walters
posted 11/18/09 @ 4:14 PM CST
Nice article, Paige.
You brought up some very valid points in it. I respect the football players and know that a vast majority of them work very hard. (Continued…)
Former SC Athlete
posted 11/18/09 @ 4:28 PM CST
I can see why this article has gotten the kind of response it has from not only the football team, but the entire school. It's such an honest and TRUTHFUL opinion that OF COURSE is bound to show us the guilty parties immediately. (Continued…)
Keith VenJohn
posted 11/18/09 @ 5:23 PM CST
This is an opinion article, Yes. Should it be allowed to be published, No. We are all members of this great college, and most of us love it because it is small and everybody really gets along. (Continued…)
Michelle Dreiling
posted 11/18/09 @ 6:40 PM CST
First of all, I am absolutely astounded at the amount of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors in these responses from college-level students. Do you people not realize that, although your zeal for the subject is obvious, you are making yourself look ignorant and unintelligent? Even the response from one football player claiming to be an "outstanding student" would not stand up to the standards of even a high school english teacher. (Continued…)
Lea Shores
posted 11/18/09 @ 8:13 PM CST
Paige was incredibly brave to write and then publish this piece. And it by all means deserved to be published. Freedom of Speech, correct?
Was the article harsh? Yes. (Continued…)
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