Refusing to Lose

[Carl Spackler]

I will go a little real world bad ass here for second. Battle of Mogadishu. October 1993. (Fall of 1993 was an important season in the course of my life)

Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon. You want to talk about bad ass. These two men radioed HQ and requested to drop out of a perfectly safe and functioning helicopter into a hell zone. It took three repeats of the request before command authorized the action. These two dropped out and hit ground about 3 blocks from an angry mob armed with RPG's, AK-47's and whatever other weapons they could find surrounding a helicopter that had been shot down, and had survivors inside. Command was reluctant to send more troops out there, the entire mission was SNAFU. Shortly after those two dropped out, that same chopper took an RPG, that blew the crew members into parts, but the bird still flew, and the pilot managed to get it home. Those two men, fought there way through those streets, to that chopper, and expended every single round they had, that they could find, and they could get there hands on, against an armed mob, surrounding that helicopter until they were killed. By the time they were overrun, that had spent every round of ammunition for every weapon they could get their hands on. They ran out of ammunition. The numbers they took down vary based on different reports, but I'll go ahead and say that the number was approximately 50-60 armed men with AK-47s, that those two men killed before being overcome because they had no ammo left. By the time it was over, that mob was so screwed up mentally, that they actually chose to spare the life of the surviving pilot, who eventually returned home, rather than do what they did to the bodies of other American soldiers that fell that day.

Those two men were put in position to make choices, that involved their skill sets, and they are heroes.

Bad ass.

Football is game, but it's a game I take seriously.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I've gone off into the deep end again a bit. Oh well.

Look, if you can't live life with passion, for whatever the hell it is you happen to be doing at the moment, you're wasting time, and dishonoring others. That's what I think. I don't care how trivial and meaningless in the grand scheme of things something may be, or how real things might be regarding life and death.

There is also a big difference between being passionate about something productively and being passionate and destructive. It's a fine line. I brought up 3 October 1993, because it's a real world, no frigging cliché's example of what it means in real battle, when your leadership communication just might be fubar, combined with the fact that you're going up against an enemy that has seen you successfully perform the same operation several times before, has studied the weaknesses and has found a means of planning an effective counterattack.

Do you run out with your tail between your legs? Hell no.

The operators in Somalia in 1993 were surgical for a long time, with no difficulties, and in a matter of literally days, they lost 7 helicopters. There is no doubt 20 years later, that Al Quaeda was involved and had put people from Afghanistan on the ground in Somalia to fight the U.S. led, United Nations military operations in that country. Those Afghan fighters were trained to shoot down helicopters by American forces just a few years earlier, and the command at the time, was overconfident in their tactics that had been working, to the point of conducting a day light operation, and intelligence - well there's an oxymoron.

The men on the ground, had to fight, for the guys next to them, and they did. The Navy was actually there, and the Army earned every bit of respect for their actions on the ground, that Navy and Army people always get on each other about.

I'm going to go cool off a bit for awhile, check out for a bit. But I am fired up for Saturday night. I've been waiting for this game for a long time, and I hope that the stadium is electric, and the players come to play. Because that is the moment. Not last week, not the past year, not the past two years, not the next three years or the four years before that. Saturday night at 7:30 is game time. That's the moment.

I don't care about coaches, leadership, when it's time to play, you go out and play for the guy next to you, and it's always got to be that way, whether or not your leaders know what they're doing, or they don't. You don't complain about things like that, until the battle is over, and you don't go out give anything less than everything you've got.

Shughart's last words to Michael Durant after handing him a weapon with a few rounds in it were, "I'll be outside." This isn't cliché and it's not made up or embellished. It happened.

I'll be outside on Saturday night, watching my favorite college football team, take the field, and I'm looking forward to seeing who the standout players are going to be, and I want to see them win.

I care.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

You just lose me when you use Black Hawk Down in a post about a college football game.

 

[SubbaBub]

My takeaway from that story was Rocky was getting it handed to him and changed tactics to a full on offensive which won him the fight.

If we come out blocking like a broken gate, no amount of sack girding inspirational kitten pictures will save us.

 

[FAIRTIDES]

I will go a little real world bad ass here for second. Battle of Mogadishu. October 1993. (Fall of 1993 was an important season in the course of my life)

Randy Shughart and Gary Gordon. You want to talk about bad ass. These two men radioed HQ and requested to drop out of a perfectly safe and functioning helicopter into a hell zone. It took three repeats of the request before command authorized the action. These two dropped out and hit ground about 3 blocks from an angry mob armed with RPG's, AK-47's and whatever other weapons they could find surrounding a helicopter that had been shot down, and had survivors inside. Command was reluctant to send more troops out there, the entire mission was SNAFU. Shortly after those two dropped out, that same chopper took an RPG, that blew the crew members into parts, but the bird still flew, and the pilot managed to get it home. Those two men, fought there way through those streets, to that chopper, and expended every single round they had, that they could find, and they could get there hands on, against an armed mob, surrounding that helicopter until they were killed. By the time they were overrun, that had spent every round of ammunition for every weapon they could get their hands on. They ran out of ammunition. The numbers they took down vary based on different reports, but I'll go ahead and say that the number was approximately 50-60 armed men with AK-47s, that those two men killed before being overcome because they had no ammo left. By the time it was over, that mob was so screwed up mentally, that they actually chose to spare the life of the surviving pilot, who eventually returned home, rather than do what they did to the bodies of other American soldiers that fell that day.

Those two men were put in position to make choices, that involved their skill sets, and they are heroes.

Bad ass.

Football is game, but it's a game I take seriously.

Carl, if you were there, I don't have to tell you that Shughart and Gordon were the elite of the elite of the military elite. I also don't have to tell you that men like those don't do what they do for flag or country or religion or slogans related to same. They do it for each other. Everything else is Stop!

 

[Carl Spackler]

Carl, if you were there, I don't have to tell you that Shughart and Gordon were the elite of the elite of the military elite. I also don't have to tell you that men like those don't do what they do for flag or country or religion or slogans related to same. They do it for each other. Everything else is bull !

That's why when a guy like Bill Parcells, (who coached at Army as a young man) and so many countless other players in locker rooms, and/or coaches, get up and start preaching the football gospel, and are full of slogans, and catchy phrases like "don't confuse repetition with dedication" or "losers assemble in small groups and bitch about other groups, winners assemble as a team". ..... it's full of cliché's and catchy phrases and things that people that are playing a game, can pin to their chests so that they play with quote / unquote "honor".

It has it's place in the world, and it's place is sport. I honestly don't know who are the emotional leaders for this team, who gets them fired up, and how, but they better get somebody if there is nobody, and I honestly agree with I think it was cohenzone? Not sure - but the only problem I can see with where we are at, is that we have some old coaches, and old guys it's simply hard to get so god damn fired up that you can get a hundred or so other men, ready to fight. The problems we're having could be that simple. Somebody better step up, and they better be able to get the players rallying and frothing at the mouth. That's leadership ON the football field, not from the sidelines.

It irks me at some kind of level that I don't quite understand how to describe, that the simple story about Rocky Marciano - which did happen in real life, he would have lost that fight on the cards if it had been called, and he knew it....... and thinks it's meaningless, as it applies to a simple game, and get motivated and having passion.

Whatever.

I'll be there Saturday, and I'll be looking for football players wearing blue and white.

 

[Waquoit]

Not only do I refuse to lose, I'm going to turn the barn into a theater and put on a show! Sydney or the bush!

 

[Carl Spackler]

You just lose me when you use Black Hawk Down in a post about a college football game.

I don't expect anyone to really understand what goes on in my head Jimmy. People find ways to have outlets in their lives. Things that aren't really that meaningful to what really matters in life - family, health, security, life..... if you don't have outlets, especially healthy ones, instead of a bottle or something, you get into trouble - real quick. I been around UConn for a long time, but UConn football didn't really turn into one of these things for me that the word "fanatic" means until we officially made the move to jump to 1A. It just didn't really mean that much, beyond the players, their families, friends and girlfriends and the band - can't forget the band - prior to that. That's the truth.

But it's my thing now, in a way it never would be otherwise. I love it. I love planning for the tailgates. In the past 10 years, I get excited for the fall, like never before. I honestly don't know if I'm the only one, or if there are 10 of us, or 20, or only 5. But I do see the parking lots jam packed with people that seem to enjoy the whole thing every time we have a game at home. Are there 40,000 of us? Not yet. Not close. It will only continue to grow though, as more families and fans are introduced and continue to go. As piss poor as the local government has been in recent past at establishing an environment that favors economic growth in the small business fashion, that is the backbone of the U.S.A, this is not a dying community we have to build this football program in.

It's people like us, like me, that are going to be the future of this program. We are the ones that are going to keep going, and are the ones that the players play for. Any parents, family, or players themselves that for whatever reason might be reading and god forbid - writing around here - need to know that we are there for them, not to bitch about some transient coach - because coaches are always transient. The media, that draws their material from here (and that is really pathetic) - need to know we are here. It's the players and the fans that make a program. Bitching about coaches and athletic directors - that goes to the Bill Parcells slogan about assembling in little groups.

Randy Edsall didn't take the program with him when he left. He may have felt like he did, and believe that he was the program, but he wasn't. It was the players and fans. The Pasqualoni and Deleone show may be rolling the program in the mud, but they aren't going to destroy it. Because as long as there are enough palyers to play, there will be a program, and the diehards will be there win or lose, and the fair weathers will show up when they win.

That's our reality.

last thing, and I'll write it, because I'm thingking it, and that never stopped me before...and I've got time on my hands at this stage and point of where I am in the world, and we are fast coming up on the 1 year anniversary of a horrific display of what an unstable human being, with no healthy outlets in life and armed with modern weapons is capable of. I think it was you Jimmy that I was discussing the whole Newtown thing with late one night back in the blur of time that was late December/January not too long ago. I fear what that time is going to do me, this year, and I know that I need to have healthy outlets with where to interact in real life with human beings, and football games for me - are going to be that. It's a totally selfish thing, and it's totally meaningless in the grand scheme of things, but for me personally, I really, really hope we make a bowl game this year, because I know that if we do, when that time comes around, thinking about a football game, will be one (among the many, many other things) that I will be consciously focusing on for positive energy.

So I'm a certifiable wing nut. I'm not going off the deep end if UCONN loses. I'll be upset, I'll piss and moan, and then I'll go back for more until they win. I'm happy.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Yeah, but you're OUR wing nut.

I'll buy you a beer before the year is out. Better yet, I'll bring you a 6 pack to your tailgate. Much cheaper.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Not only do I refuse to lose, I'm going to turn the barn into a theater and put on a show! Sydney or the bush!

I have no idea what this means, but I like the energy. I think.

#refuse2lose

 

[joey3$trike$]

Save that enthusiasm for saturday nite! I'll be watching on my laptop at a poker game, waiting for the Mayweather fight. Hopefully there's something to cheer about in the 4th.

 

[noeynox]

Save that enthusiasm for saturday nite! I'll be watching on my laptop at a poker game, waiting for the Mayweather fight. Hopefully there's something to cheer about in the 4th.

You don't live in CT? That Mayweather/Canelo fight should be an event. I hope its not a total snoozefest with Mayweather totally outclassing him.

 

[joey3$trike$]

You don't live in CT? That Mayweather/Canelo fight should be an event. I hope its not a total snoozefest with Mayweather totally outclassing him.

No I live in NYC and work on saturdays. Avid poker player so sounded like a good time, hey it's always fun to win some money. Kind of sucks I cant watch the game at a bar but it is what it is. Yeah $$$ will probably win on a decision but depending on the Uconn I'm not sure if I'm going to care too much. Enjoy the game everyone!

 

[pj]

Right now we are a giant turd sitting at rest. I want to see that turd start moving with some velocity

Carl, I was with you until this, but I'm sorry, flinging s*** is not going to get us anywhere.

 

[Fishy]

Slogans are so stupid at a time like this.

Oh, amen.

What if both teams refuse to lose? A tie? A game that never ends? A black hole?

If these dopey slogans worked, I'd suggest that ours' be "Win by 60 every weekend".

 

[Duncan Idaho]

I have no idea what this means, but I like the energy. I think.

#refuse2lose

Carl, you are going to know who wins this game 5 minutes before the opening kickoff

 

[ZooCougar]

Oh, amen.

What if both teams refuse to lose? A tie? A game that never ends? A black hole?

If these dopey slogans worked, I'd suggest that ours' be "Win by 60 every weekend".

Energy sucker

 

[Carl Spackler]

Carl, you are going to know who wins this game 5 minutes before the opening kickoff

I'm not sure what this means. I'm not sure if you're trying to pump me up, or bring me down. If you're saying that we'll know who's going to win by the energy the players bring out on that field, out the tunnel, then I'm willing to agree. Personally, I'm digging deep on this game. Slayer.

Started with seasons in the abyss yesterday. By Saturday night it will be raining blood. I want to see football players on the field.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

I'm not sure what this means. I'm not sure if you're trying to pump me up, or bring me down. If you're saying that we'll know who's going to win by the energy the players bring out on that field, out the tunnel, then I'm willing to agree. Personally, I'm digging deep on this game. Slayer.

Started with seasons in the abyss yesterday. By Saturday night it will be raining blood. I want to see football players on the field.

Yes I am.

 

[Husky25]

1993. NFL Week 18. Dallas @ New York. Playoff [positioning/appearance on the line. All time NFL career leading rusher Emmit Smith signature game. It wasn't about yardage, it was about how you respond to pain. They kept calling Emmit's number, and he delivered. Even if you are a Cowboys hater, and Emmitt hater, this game is undeniable.

I don't mean to be Rev. Killjoy, but the Cowboys had one of the greatest offensive lines in the history of the NFL in the early 90s. Just an observation (one that kills me as a Redskins' fan)

 

[Husky25]

Oh, amen.

What if both teams refuse to lose? A tie? A game that never ends? A black hole?

If these dopey slogans worked, I'd suggest that ours' be "Win by 60 every weekend".

This reminds me of the comedian making note of giving The Lord all praises when a team scores or wins a game, but no blame when they lose...

"Yeah, we woulda won.Until Jesus made me fumble."

 

[Carl Spackler]

I don't mean to be Rev. Killjoy, but the Cowboys had one of the greatest offensive lines in the history of the NFL in the early 90s. Just an observation (one that kills me as a Redskins' fan)

I'm way past even beginning to respond to something like this as to face value. Blame there, blame them, blame that position group over there, blame that coach over there, blame this and that. Players / coaches, everything's wrong in the world. Blah blah.

I have convinced myself, because I'm a bit crazy and there's nothing else really I'm focused on looking for at this point in time, is that what this team needs, and might be lacking, is their own version of a Cyco Mike, who at age 50 hasn't lost a single bit of the energy and can still blow the doors off. Saw him perform in NYC just a few months ago. A person in the case of what we're discussing here - a football player (hopefully many - but at least one) - that has a literal fireball shooting out of his ass at all times and has so much energy and backs it up with his performance of his craft, that there is but no choice for everyone else to raise their own intensity levels to place where it's got to be. If there are any on this 2013 team, they better unleash it and let it out. Leadership comes in many forms, and I'm looking for the leadership ON the field.

I'll be looking for it on Saturday night. I want to see football players. I want to see GOOD football players.

 

[Husky25]

I'm way past even beginning to respond to something like this as to face value. Blame there, blame them, blame that position group over there, blame that coach over there, blame this and that. Players / coaches, everything's wrong in the world. Blah blah.

I have convinced myself, because I'm a bit crazy and there's nothing else really I'm focused on looking for at this point in time, is that what this team needs, and might be lacking, is their own version of a Cyco Mike, who at age 50 hasn't lost a single bit of the energy and can still blow the doors off. Saw him perform in NYC just a few months ago. A person in the case of what we're discussing here - a football player (hopefully many - but at least one) - that has a literal fireball shooting out of his ass at all times and has so much energy and backs it up with his performance of his craft, that there is but no choice for everyone else to raise their own intensity levels to place where it's got to be. If there are any on this 2013 team, they better unleash it and let it out. Leadership comes in many forms, and I'm looking for the leadership ON the field.

I'll be looking for it on Saturday night. I want to see football players. I want to see GOOD football players.

Who's blaming anyone (in this post)? I did not mention UConn. You inferred it. I don't think any other running back or player could do what Emmitt Smith did that day, but make no mistake, he had help.

As I said, merely an observation.

 

[Carl Spackler]

Who's blaming anyone (in this post)? I did not mention UConn. You inferred it. I don't think any other running back or player could do what Emmitt Smith did that day, but make no mistake, he had help.

As I said, merely an observation.

I just found a penny face up. I think we're going to win.

 

[Husky25]

I just found a penny face up. I think we're going to win.

You're off your game today, Carl.