An open letter to my dear friend Matt Schwalbach:
Twelve autumns ago, while we toiled in the bowels of Vilas Hall, as co-sports editors of the Daily Cardinal, a pudgy freshman running back started his Wisconsin football career quickly, and threatened to claim the starting job from a ballyhooed veteran, who had rushed for more than 1,000 yards himself the year before.
"Let's do a point-counterpoint," someone suggested (it was probably Vince Filak, now my friend on Facebook). "Who should start at tailback: Carl McCullough or Ron Dayne?"
Someone else volunteered to take the Dayne position; I forget who. So who was going to advocate McCullough? No takers.
You, Schwib, bravely stepped up to the plate and took the position that no one else on campus or in Badger Nation was willing to take at the time, aside from Mrs. McCullough.
So here we are, 12 years later. The Badgers' incumbent starter and two-time 1,000-yard rusher, P.J. Hill, is playing OK football, but seems to be lacking spark, missing sizzle. Then there's the young pup, John Clay, touted by many as the greatest running back in Wisconsin prep history. His runs against tough defenses from Michigan and Ohio State have electrified the masses, who are calling for more.
Just as for four years we heard "Roooooon Daaaaayne" from the PA announcer, we deserve four years of "Joooooohn Claaaaaay," don't we?
Schwib, to atone for the difficult spot in which you were placed 12 years ago, I am offering you the opportunity to pen a point-counterpoint piece advocating John Clay be the Badgers' starting tailback. The pro-P.J. side of things is open, but if there are no takers (not counting on Will Bottinick), I will take one for the team and write it. I've already got the "blitz pickup" and "knows all the plays" coaching cliches at my fingertips.
The opportunity is there, let me know if you want to take it.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Point-counterpoint, 12 years later
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3 comments:
This could go on PJ's side of the ledger. Last year I heard ESPN's Todd McShay call PJ Hill a future 1st round draft pick. I still can't believe he said that. Don't know what games he is watching.
Hmmm, thanks for the offer. It must be the guilt after all these years, saddling me with defending what could be the most stupid, unpopular postion in the history of UW football.
It took me several hours of staring at a tiny monotone MAC monitor before actually coming up with some ridiculous, semi-coherent argument.
I was put in a position to suck it up for the good of our sports pages. Much like the center in football goes about his all-important but unheralded work, I ground it out in the trenches, only to lose my job, sanity and health. Sacrifices, all.
For Mike Webster, I say "yes" to your offer. For Carl "Real Deal" McCullough, I say "yes."
I appreciate and welcome the opportunity after all these years. I can now attempt to atone for that which has eaten at me for over a decade.
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