Since flag planting has suddenly become such a controversial issue, the NCAA could negate this “problem” by standardizing the procedure for this post game event. Whichever team wins gets the honor of positioning their school flag in center field, a flag provided by the NCAA on a spring-loaded pole not to exceed 6’ skyward. Only one player, designated by the winning team’s captain the night before, can plant it for a photo opportunity. During this new college football ritual of victory (CFRoV) opposing team players or anyone else who might cause a problem are required to stand no closer than the hash marks until a Canvas bag is seen passing one (you). Flag must be unplanted within five seconds of official’s airhorn notice. Flag to be quickly folded and tucked within a heavy Canvas bag so not to give notice, the unbeknownst flag whisked away in look of beady eyes. The eyes of losers, feelings wounded and still lingering, longer than allowed.
There, no problem, void of information-starved drama scenes. It’s normal where we are, the point on the path of Nature’s way. It’s some of the oldest instincts we all have in common, bonding us in tribe, Fellow Man.
Folks, (it is okay I call you folk, isn’t it?) it’s not rocket science, but a common sense solution to a social phenomenon being seen in college football’s recent rivalry games.
That said, in the OSU/UM (or is it UM/OSU?) game, all I saw was some chest-bump posturing reminiscent of that seen throughout the evolution of life. It’s not like they were going to hurt anyone. It was a post game attempt of oneupmanship. In losing on their home turf, the OSU players were humiliated and weren’t going to let that humiliation continue without dishing back good-old DNA chest bumps. Some of those swings I saw them taking wouldn’t even qualify for the WWE circuit where “Too unrealistic”, is sometimes heard at open tryouts.
Watching the posturing displays of two rivals reminded me of the ape scene at the start of 2001…2001: A Space Odyssey, I must add. It’s all real primal stuff still today, perfectly normal for this stage of life’s evolution. Remember, it’s not just about us, so slow down and take a derp breath. Control it if you must, but ultimately it controls you. It’s in the inner sanctum, the fabric of your soul, there so we understand the battles, the hurts within our souls today.
Somewhere in there a point was to be made. You only get out of it what you put into it? Perhaps, but less certain without checking ancient rulings stuck in the Cosmic Annals of Entropy. “The winds of change, down-winded” one might stop from saying. Sometimes, things just roll in place for you as a centering of bliss, this focus on The Rock. Good things happen to good life forms. To the longtime sufferers of IU football, we have ascended to great heights along tortuous paths and slippery afoot. This “King of the Hill” started long before humans ever came around.
What a way to end this season, at home with a 66-0 win for the Bucket. That game will live with the eternity of light, solar-powered, of course. In the meantime, I choose to enjoy this sense of Hoosier Pride for as long as I can, this erectness of feathered posture, puffing out of pride, boys just being boys! Get over your fears and there will be no fears, these figments of your imagination, the reality we create.