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Seeing Green

It is often thought of Arizona to be a state of harsh unforgiving desert. And while it is true that there are vast areas of sun scorched land, there is in one section a mountain that has pushed itself some 12,500 feet into space. And there nestled among the unexpected pines is a small mountain town. It is a sleepy town, home to a sleepy people and one sleepy university.

This university was not known for much. There was one time in the early part of the 21st century that it got some attention for an anthrax study it had conducted after a national anthrax scare. But other than that, Flagstaff has managed to stay under just about every radar there is. Especially the sports radar. You see, when you are a university that few people know about, in a town that fewer people have heard about, it becomes increasingly difficult to recruit those hometown heroes necessary to compose a winning football team. And so year after year, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks made do with mediocrity.

Well not long ago around the holiday of Halloween, there was a creature that crossed over from the netherworld for the first time in the known history of man. This green haired symbol of justice, wandered the crust of an injust earth searching to make things right. How this Green Awesome caught wind of the sports program at some obscure town in Northern Arizona, no one will ever know. But even more mysterious is the fact that our green winged heroe not only heard of the suffering sports situation, but that he was somehow able to arrange a reentrance from the burning underworld to visit what might be viewed as an unimportant football game.

There is however, a small group of armored college men who week after week suffered humiliating losses and needed nothing more than one simple one win. It's true that athletes are often babied and given unfair treatment because they can run, jump, or catch a little better the majority of us. But when you have invested hours and hours to an art, and never see the fruits of your labour blossom into a win, it can be quite demoralizing. So demoralizing in fact, to significantly trouble one particular seeker of truth and fairness.

So on a cold November night, much like every other football friday of the season, the team suited up and entered the dome just like they did every week. Though, this time something was different. There was a sweet air of hope. Was it that the Green Awesome struck a paralyzing fear into the oposing team? Was it that some supernatural transfer of power occurred from one frightening creature to a needy football team? Or was it that the Lumberjacks had sitting in the stands something they had maybe never had before. A true fan. A fan that would squak and scream and flap its hairy wings after ever play. And for the first time in a long time 11 collegiate males took to the turf and believed that maybe... just maybe they could win.

It might be said they weren't playing an Ohio State, or USC, no they were playing Weber State. But to anyone in the stands that night, there was no team that had a chance that night against this invincible Lumberjack team. It feels good to beat a team by a score of 42-17. Heck it feels good just to beat a team. But more important than any win, is that there is young man in a small town who once again believes. Believe in his team. Believes in himself. Believes in life.

posted by Travelin' D @ 7:20 PM