“From kickoff to the final celebration there was nothing else.”

With 42 seconds left on the season for a Persevering Kansas team and a V. Tech squad that has been pushed by a desire to trump a cowards neglect for life, Mark Mangino was letting his guys know that he would have a heart attack if they doused him with the ice filled “heart stopper” called the gatorade shower... And while the pre party, pre orange eating, and pre heart attack for Mangino was happening on one side of the field, the hokies had there heads held low, looking for a place to hide and bathe in the excuses and disappointment of a lose. But in the end both teams will get back on the buses, take the trip home, live there lives, and laugh about something that has nothing to do with this game, get angry at a bad waiter, or lose someone close. In those moments and in the infinite others that will come up in there lives they will rarely think of the Orange Bowl of 2008. Either will you and I. It doesn't seem significant as it appears on the field. Especially compared to what the players have survived and witnessed earlier this year and will likely have to deal with as life goes on. It’s nothing right? It’s just a game. well... No, It’s not. For the 4 hours from kick off to the final celebration, this is the most important thing in the world for those breathing the same air, smelling the same smells, and drinking the Cokes in the stands or sweating together on the field. Thats what makes it great. For those four hours if you were in the stands or on the field, chances are nothing else really mattered. Sure someone might of had a sister in labor, just broken up with a girlfriend, or didn’t find pants that fit right (That will ruin everything! Trust me). But for everyone else, it was all forgotten for about 4 hours. Nothing mattered but a great defense being beaten by a surgeon like QB that had to use a club instead of a scalpel at times to get the job done. What mattered in those four hours was the shear thrill of the pick six, the reverse kickoff return for six and the agony of waiting to see what the flag was. That’s what mattered. That’s what makes it great. That’s why they play and why we watch. Because for those four hours it doesn't matter that our boss hates us or our neighbor dumps grass clippings in our yard. It doesn't matter that your trying to diet and feel like eating the chair your sitting on. It doesn't matter that we can’t live on this huge planet together and not kill each other. We don’t ever forget, we can’t. But what is sold for a $100 is a seat and an opportunity to let go of all of that for four hours. Tomorrow we will get up go to work and talk about the game, but we’ll be at work. It IS just a game. Let it be a game. Let it be a game and you’ll get four hours.