Can't lose for winning

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Today's column may be a less coherent than usual. My back went out Sunday and I'm still looking for it. Anyway...

It's got to be hard to show up and know that beyond the farthest shadow of a doubt, you are going to be massacred.

Yes. Georgia Tech.

In what HAS to be a serious case of consternation for most college football fans, Georgia Tech (which graduates its football team's seniors each year) holds a pair of records that will stand forever.

October 7, 1916 Georgia Tech scored 222, yes two hundred and twenty two, points against Cumberland College which failed to post any points. Tech was also coached by John Heisman, of whom College Football's most prestigious award is named.

So to all you "other" college fans, Neener Neener Neener.

But talk about showing up for a massacre. Jeez.

A similar thing happened Saturday in Tallahassee. FSU hosted Charleston Southern University.  FSU 62 - CSU 10.

The CSU team DID hold FSU at the goal line twice and the Seminoles had to settle for a field goal. I was impressed.

But still. Little CSU traveling to Florida to play FSU? You know they expected to get clobbered. The only question was how bad was the beating gonna be? Would they even score?

In case yer wondering, the middle-high school band here went down for Band Day at FSU. Being the Music Program Booster president and parent of two band students I went along to chaperon, complain, give kids money to buy stuff, document the trip and so forth.

Back on topic - Getting clobbered is not a pleasant experience regardless of how much you may learn from the experience. Anticipation can make it worse.

Ya gotta wonder. Why show up at all? Why put out an effort? What good will it do? Winning ain't everything, it's how you play the game?

Learn to be a gracious loser? Oooo. Yeah. Good sportsmanship and all that? Losing builds character?

Anyone who wants to be a gracious loser v. a winner of ANY kind, please let me know.

OK that was harsh (but I am in pain). There certainly are times I'd rather be a gracious loser than a certain kind of winner. Sometimes.

Sometimes when you win, you are actually the loser. That's a hard one to understand, unless you've been there.