[NU Sports] Now THAT was a game!

[Dennis W. Brandt]

Re: [NU Sports] Now THAT was a game!<If it really was just about talent, how do explain the success this group of too slow, too small, too smart, too lightly recruited kids had in November? They beat teams filled with blue chip recruits. Every team they beat has lower academic standards for their athletes. Every team they beat puts way more people in the stands than we do and probably has better facilities too.

Athletic competition isn't about talent?  That will come as a shock to every coach in the world.  You have a David syndrome.  Everyone loves to see underdog David put it to big, nasty Goliath.  Problem is, Goliath wins 98% of the time.  As I said in my original e-mail on this topic, the NU football team is staffed by "well coached, pretty good players working their hearts out."  Last time I checked, that was a complimentt  In NU football history, "pretty good" has been a rarity, so it looks good by comparison.  We will win more games yet with well coached, HIGHLY TALENTED players working their hearts out.  We cannot rely on the 1995 dream team as an end-all standard.  That was our Goliath year, and you don't get many of them.  Fitz clearly has recruited better talent.  If he hadn't, we would have been 2 - 9 this season.  He just as clearly needs to continue the climb up the talent pool if we are to be a contender every season.  I don't question that is his intent, nor do I doubt that if he had an interested stud running back on the academic cusp, he would fight like hell to get him.  The way to build a fan base and draw more press coverage is to enter every season as a strong BCS contender.  In other words, EXPECT VICTORY in reality, not just as a rah-rah slogan.  If we don't, why set foot on the football field?  I have no doubt Fitz would agree.