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Monday, June 28, 2004
Sulking Longhorns bolt from TV
It was all sports all weekend at our house. Between the Wimbledon tennis matches, gymnastics Olympic trials and the College World Series, we logged many hours in front of the television.
We sat, we watched, we ate. I didn’t feel as guilty as I might have because it rained pretty much the whole time. That’s my excuse for being a slug of a couch potato for two solid days, and I’m sticking to it.
Watching the fresh-faced fellows of UT and Cal State-Fullerton was an agonizing joy both days. In spite of fielding errors and unimpressive hitting, the Longhorns were fun to watch — until they lost on Sunday.
The sour post-game performance wasn’t reported on local TV news, so it wasn’t until this morning, when I read American-Statesman sports columnist Kirk Bohls’ piece that I was embarrassed for our home team. And angry.
As the parent of a teenage boy, I’ve been involved in team sports for many years, and I’ve always been a strong believer that sports participation does more for kids than keep them physically fit. Learning to win and lose gracefully is vital, and the athletic fields provide plenty of opportunity for both.
In case you missed it, the Longhorns “declined” to accept their second-place trophy Sunday. Instead, they slipped away to the locker room and bolted the door. NCAA rules require both sides to be available for locker-room interviews, but the Longhorns “declined” that, too.
Of course the Longhorns were disappointed, but it’s not like they were cheated out of the championship. The Titans played better and won. The Longhorns should have accepted defeat gracefully and congratulated the winners. They did neither. They were bad sports.
Coach Augie Garrido failed as a leader by enabling the Longhorns to react the way they did. As the NCAA ads kept proclaiming throughout the games, the overwhelming majority of student athletes will turn pro in nonsports fields after college.
What life lessons will the Longhorns take from Omaha to their work and family lives as adults? When the going gets tough, run away and sulk.
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