2008 Woodie Awards
Every dog has his day
Joe Arleth
Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: sports
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I have a friend who once jumped over a car during a game of freedom/manhunt. He was the last person alive on the hiding team and found himself cornered. He could have given himself up and no one would have blamed him. Instead, in pure sandlot fashion, he defied gravity and sailed over a Toyota. This man was a hero.
I once had a teammate who called his game-winning grand slam. He had two strikes and was facing our own ace during the last pre-season scrimmage. He turned to our coach and the bench saying,"This next one is going down that hill." He is now a legend.
I knew two guys who played basketball with me a few years back. After one especially tough loss, these two knuckleheads began jawing with the other team in the parking lot. Things escalated and soon there was a nine on two brawl outside the gymnasium. After it was done, for the first time all season, our team was the last one standing. Their story will never die.
What I am trying to show you is that sports have the unique way of confronting us with those dare to be great situations. Sometimes they happen during cliché moments. You have to rise up or dig deep in the pivotal moment of a huge game.
Often times, these moments are born spontaneously when no one sees them coming. All the preparation and game planning in the world cannot give you the experience necessary to succeed. You have the classic case of do-or-die.
Whether this is risking life and limb to free your buddies from jail or being a hero in a meaningless scrimmage before the season starts, you never know when your time will come.
This past weekend, Roongo faced this scenario. A legend was born.
In last weeks issue, the sports section here at The Voice questioned the amount of school spirit here at Bloomsburg. Never again.
If you checked out the injury report for Saturday's football game against Cheyney, it would not have been a surprise to see Roongo listed as doubtful. The pup was in bad shape, having severely hurt his shoulder in an accident earlier in the week. Police do not believe Michael Vick was involved.
I once had a teammate who called his game-winning grand slam. He had two strikes and was facing our own ace during the last pre-season scrimmage. He turned to our coach and the bench saying,"This next one is going down that hill." He is now a legend.
I knew two guys who played basketball with me a few years back. After one especially tough loss, these two knuckleheads began jawing with the other team in the parking lot. Things escalated and soon there was a nine on two brawl outside the gymnasium. After it was done, for the first time all season, our team was the last one standing. Their story will never die.
What I am trying to show you is that sports have the unique way of confronting us with those dare to be great situations. Sometimes they happen during cliché moments. You have to rise up or dig deep in the pivotal moment of a huge game.
Often times, these moments are born spontaneously when no one sees them coming. All the preparation and game planning in the world cannot give you the experience necessary to succeed. You have the classic case of do-or-die.
Whether this is risking life and limb to free your buddies from jail or being a hero in a meaningless scrimmage before the season starts, you never know when your time will come.
This past weekend, Roongo faced this scenario. A legend was born.
In last weeks issue, the sports section here at The Voice questioned the amount of school spirit here at Bloomsburg. Never again.
If you checked out the injury report for Saturday's football game against Cheyney, it would not have been a surprise to see Roongo listed as doubtful. The pup was in bad shape, having severely hurt his shoulder in an accident earlier in the week. Police do not believe Michael Vick was involved.