Hope delivered on a gridiron

James Clements
Published: September 7, 2008

I don’t know how many of you were watching, but I saw an inspirational performance Thursday night.

Thrust into the spotlight, with naysayers all around, the white-haired veteran rallied his team and took a strong step forward for the rest of the fall.

You might have missed it since Sen. John McCain was making his acceptance speech at the same time, but Bobby Johnson’s Vanderbilt Commodores delivered hope from a football field in a way no politician ever will.

With a 24-17 victory over Southeastern Conference rival South Carolina (not to mention the “Ole Ball Coach” Steve Spurrier), Vanderbilt probably opened some eyes in the Old South, if not nationally. It was the Commodores’ first win at home over a ranked opponent since 1992 (the year before I got to campus to witness many of the heartbreakers), and it has me giddy with nervous energy that maybe this is the year the team breaks its streak of 25 consecutive losing seasons.

I know there are more important things going on in Culpeper and our country. I know that sports are supposed to take a back seat in a time of war (just ask MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann about President Bush’s golf game), and that many Americans see this election season as another battle in the larger conflict.

But for those of us who follow a college football team, nothing pulls out your guts for three hours then decides if you get to have them back like a college football game. And when you get them back, it’s a joy that isn’t easily hidden.

I wanted to discuss the demise of the Angler county water proposal today and to wonder aloud what’s really in a water sewer authority for town taxpayers, but my poison pen has been capped. How can I focus on the anxieties of local politics when my alma mater is one step closer to that elusive December bowl game I’ve been dreaming about for years?

I know that college football is a sore subject around here — my wife was on hari-kari watch after Virginia Tech’s loss to East Carolina. And Virginia fans might actually be relieved by the large margin in the loss to USC — a tight game might have gotten coach Al Groh another contract extension.

(Hopefully, in the interim between when I write this and you read it, both teams will have their first wins of the season.) But these fans who are experiencing lows this week understand, or relish, my current high.

I have good news for both Hokie and Cavalier fans — both opening-game losses will have no effect on your seasons. Unless you believed your team would be playing in the BCS National Championship game, you’ll still end up fighting it out in the ACC, with the ultimate goal of winning the conference and going to Miami in January. If that fails, you might still end up with a good enough record to land you in Charlotte or Atlanta for New Year’s Eve.

But this is where I lose sympathy for the locals. The Hokie Nation seemingly loads up its RVs and heads south every year. Cavalier fans, though certainly not in the same caravan numbers, also enjoy an almost-annual road trip.

But every fall, my fellow Vanderbilt alumni and I watch from the windows as you pack up and leave. Miami would be great in January, but I’ll settle for Shreveport (La.) or Mobile (Ala.) in December. After Thursday, my heart is one step closer.

Managing editor’s note: James: After enduring many a pathetic season as a Tampa Bay Bucs and Atlanta Braves fan throughout the 1980s, I can certainly relate to your feelings of joy. Unfortunately, my Georgia Bulldogs will bring your Commodores back to Earth when they play Oct. 18 between the hedges.

James Clements is a Culpeper resident and independent columnist who appears each Monday. E-mail