It started out as a great day and to be truthful it also ended great. We left for the blue turf Bronco stadium around 11 am (local time). We shared a cab with a mother and sister of one of the BGSU players. We had the opportunity to eat and mingle with other BGSU parents and fans at the BGSU Alumni tent. It was great to listen to the BGSU marching band and to talk to other parents.Of course I have my own pregame routine. I have to be in stands, before the players come out onto the field for pregame warm up and drills. I concentrate on how Tyler is warming up and can usually tell how well the beginning of the game will go for him just by watching him. Of course both BGSU and Idaho were fired up to play the game.
To say the game was exciting is truly an understatement. I am willing to wager that the Humanitarian Bowl will go down as the most exciting game of the bowls for 2009. It was great to see Tyler play and I thought (bias as his father aside) he did very well. He did comment after the game that the only two holding penalties he has been called for all year occurred on national television. I did get some text messages from those of you who were watching the game to tell me ESPN commented on that great block Tyler had that lead to a touchdown.
I also tell my high school players that the game is never over until the time runs out. That statement was further exemplified by the final 32 seconds of the game today. Although I thought BGSU had won the game when Freddie Barnes caught his last touchdown pass of his college career, I also was worried BGSU left too much time on the clock for Idaho...my fear proved to be right. Who would of thought that the game would end with just a one point victory for Idaho 43-42.
It is obvious that Tyler is more resealant to the loss than I am . We got to talk to him after the game and even though he said it was disappointing he was already thinking about next year. He realizes he is the only senior on the line next year and will have to step up as the leader on the line. So as he was probably sleeping on the plane back to BG (they flew back right after the game)...his father is left with the last 32 seconds of the game going through his head...over and over and over and over.
It has been a wonderful experience and once again I and Kari are so thankful to those of the church family who made this happen. I wish I could share the feeling of seeing your child play in a bowl game on national television. As I stated before it is and will be a life long memory.
