Thoughts on a Disappointment

I'm disappointed.

My beloved Ohio State Buckeyes, formerly ranked #1 in the nation, lost last night in a hostile environment to a team which, while not better overall, had the better evening.

I'm disappointed.

And truthfully, last night in the heat of the moment, I was angry. Angry at our coach, angry at our players, angry at the biased commentators and media, angry at the entire state of Wisconsin and not looking forward to seeing people today that would love to rub our loss in my face (in a loving way of course).

Then, I tried to look for some perspective and found it before I went to bed, which was good, because with the mood I was in, I could have been up all night stewing about this. Which, with a newborn, isn't advisable.

So, what helped me change my mind?

Understanding that (are you ready for this?) it was just a game. Yes, I love my Buckeyes. Yes, I want to win every game. Yes, I believe we should be in the discussion for the national championship. But in the grand scheme of things...it's just a game. Wisconsin had the better day. Does that make them a better team? Yesterday they were. Do I believe they're a better team overall? No. But they played better than we did and deserved to win. Does that make my disappointment any less? No.

I also started thinking about the extreme amount of pressure that we (the fans, media, etc.) place on these players to perform and win week after week. Get this: they are college students. Fabulously talented college students on scholarship and recruited because they can play at a higher level, but they are kids. I am older than these kids by at least a decade. And they're not professionals. Yet. But I expect them to play at that level and get angry when they don't do well. How would I have handled such pressure at 18, 19, 20, 21? Not well. But they can face the media (most of whom love to bash them when they do poorly, especially the Buckeyes) and provide respectful (most of the time) answers to their questions and most of them handle themselves well off the field.

What about our coach? He certainly is paid to win, right? Well, I seem to remember the coach before him who also "couldn't win the big one" and who only beat our archrival TWICE in his 11-year tenure. Those who are calling for Jim Tressel's head/firing/resignation would do well to remember the Cooper era. Yes, yes, he (Cooper) could recruit like nobody's business, but when it came down to it, he couldn't WIN. Since when does winning at least a share of 5 of the last 8 Big Ten titles, beating Oregon last year in the Rose Bowl and beating Michigan equal sufficient reason for firing? I don't get it. Does he make the right calls 100% of the time? No. But he is a classy, respected and outstanding coach. Long live Tressel-ball!

So, why am I writing a huge dissertation on Ohio State's loss?

Because I realized that I could take the perspective I applied to the loss to much of my life on the whole.

How often do I get disappointed/angry/frustrated because things don't work out the way I want them to or think they should?

Wouldn't it be better if I took a step back and looked at the big picture? Instead, too many times I pigeon-hole the situation and refuse to look outside of my small circle. I don't ask God what really matters and what could be going on outside of my small point of view that is affecting the outcome of the situation. And isn't that what I need to be doing?

Would that I pause and take a minute to pray and ask God to reveal to me what is the big picture and what I'm not seeing. Would that I ask Him what He wants me to learn from my disappointment or remember that the here and now, while important to me, isn't the end. There is something so much bigger to life than what I'm worrying about. And no matter what, God cares.

And all this because Ohio State lost. Isn't that something? ;)

Blessings and love,
Erin