Too many years ago I was a defensive lineman on the school football team.?ÿ We were OK I guess.?ÿ The team was not known for its accomplishments but we all had fun.?ÿ The only mention of football in the glass trophy case by the principal's office was a small B&W photo of the 1947 team that took regionals.?ÿ The next 20 years was mediocre at its best.
But that year, through some miracle of weather forfeits and a lucky play or two, we found ourselves in a playoff for a regional title.?ÿ A playoff against the local parochial school's powerhouse team Bishol McGuiness HS...or as we called it Birdsh*t McGuiness.?ÿ
The chances of us winning were slim and none.?ÿ Our opponent regularly sent players to the State Universities.?ÿ They outweighed us at each and every position.?ÿ They were the ??big boys? and we weren??t.?ÿ It was as simple as that.
After it became apparent we were going to the playoff Coach Potter called a meeting.?ÿ And he was brutally honest with us.?ÿ I remember he asked how many of us ??wanted to win?.?ÿ Of course we all raised our hands.?ÿ Then he asked how many of us ??thought? we could win??and the room went silent.
Finally someone asked him if he thought we could win.?ÿ I wish I had a transcript of his reply.
Coach dove in, gave us the old ??on-any-Sunday? speech and emphatically told us we could.?ÿ He said we could if we really wanted it.?ÿ We were told several stories of rag-tag teams that found themselves at a make or break moment in time and prevailed.?ÿ He assured us a win was possible, but only if we could envision it ourselves.?ÿ He basically thanked us for a good season and told us if we lost he wouldn??t think any less of us because we had done everything he had asked of us.?ÿ He told us to talk, make a decision and he would talk to us tomorrow.?ÿ He got up and left.
We all stayed in the locker room all through practice time.?ÿ We argued.?ÿ We pointed fingers.?ÿ We got fired up and decided we not only wanted to win, but also decided we could muster up some whip-ass and either win or die trying.?ÿ There??s nothing in this world like youthful spirit.?ÿ We practiced our butts off for the next couple of weeks.?ÿ We pulled out some trick plays.?ÿ We improved more in ten days than we had all season.?ÿ We felt good.
The last practice before the game Coach met us in the locker room and opened some cardboard boxes that had been stashed in the corner.?ÿ It was next year??s brand new uniforms and helmets.?ÿ The admin had allowed him to break out the new gear for the regional championship.?ÿ The night of the game when we all suited up in brand new gear a magic manifested in that room.?ÿ A bunch of pimple-faced half-witted teens with ADD was transformed into a crack football team with a winning spirit that was nothing short of divine.?ÿ Taking the field before kick-off was something I'll never forget.?ÿ
Although trailing at half we won the regional championship by a touchdown. ?ÿIt was a classic case of an over confident ??winning? opponent that felt they had it in the bag.?ÿ We handed them their asses dressed in our "Sunday Best" uniforms.
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I thought about that game the other night as I watched the news report the Ukrainian military was actually driving back the Russian invasion.?ÿ A smaller and less accomplished team mustering it all up and whipping the bigger opponent??s ass.?ÿ I had to chuckle.?ÿ Then I had to wonder??Would we still have won without our new uniforms??ÿ Could Ukraine still prevail without new weapons and supplies made available to them?
Don??t know.?ÿ But I do know no one wins anything without the proper spirit.?ÿ Without it you??re definitely defeated. ?????ÿ
I think they will drive the Russians out. I don't know if it will take weeks or years. There's a lesson in Vietnam and Afghanistan (with Russia and US) about home team advantage that seems to be hard for countries to learn.
But a "win" is at a terrible cost for all involved.
There's a lesson in Vietnam
It's called run like hell towards or away from the Slick (Iroquois). Some of y'all may know. I don't.
Yes, just like the recent UK's loss to St. Peter's.?ÿ No matter how good a team is you can't recruit, train, and force the Will to Fight.?ÿ
The video is an excellent analysis of where Russia went wrong.
TL/DW The Russians have a very large military budget but a lot of it is expensive prestige weapons (Nukes and the Navy) and they haven??t spent nearly enough on weapons systems and troops (plus training and supply) that would be useful in Ukraine. Meanwhile the Ukrainians have spent nearly all of their military budget precisely on equipment and personnel necessary for defense of their country which is why they are winning. And they have been preparing for the invasion since 2014.
Way back about 1974 I enrolled in a 2 credit-hour course taught in the two weeks between Spring Semester and Summer Semester.?ÿ That course name was The History of Peacekeeping.?ÿ Not the History of War.?ÿ The instructor had been a pilot in the RAF and he had a wonderful accent to match.?ÿ One of the very things he covered was how small countries allocate their resources as opposed to large countries.?ÿ Basically, the small countries are all about protecting what they have.?ÿ The big countries are more about attacking elsewhere as only silly fools would attempt to attack them at home.
Not 100 percent true, but true enough.
Thanks for posting that, it was a great read!
