Striking Midnight

As I sat miserably in the Hong Kong airport food court at 11:00 am Sunday morning fighting through a watery coke, a luke warm Quarter Pounder, and some stale fries and a strawberry shake that was more melted vanilla than anything else, I watched the dream season unravel through 30 sec. updates on my phone (likely racking up ridiculous roaming fees I'm scared to look up).  

I didn't get to watch the game live. I never saw the 4th quarter since we had to take off.  I have yet to watch a single highlight.  I've only barely looked over the doom and gloom on the message boards and the twitterverse.

Will I go back and watch the game over Thanksgiving?  No, I won't. A protection of sorts probably from having to face the horror head on.  I've never rewatched 1998 BigXII Championship game, the 2003 Fiesta Bowl, Game 3 of the '06 NBA Finals, the '10 World Series, or Game 6 of the '11 World Series.  There are some games just so emotionally scarring I just don't need to see them again.

So, I had a lot of time to think about how to address what happened Saturday. (24 straight hours of thinking, to be exact ... from Shenzhen, to Seoul, to Seattle, to Dallas).  Knowing I'd have to come home and address the masses regarding yet another heartwrenching Kansas State loss during a time of high prosperity is never easy.  But, inevitable.

So, what should be the theme? What to focus on?  What is the appropriate way to properly discuss and process and over analyze what being (yet again) in the Grand Ballroom was like, only to have the fairy tale come crashing down once more in the eleventh (twelfth) hour?

So many directions one could go:

• A cynical discussion on yet another brutal chapter to add to the annuals of KSU football history?  Too defeatist.

• A statistical analysis regarding the lack of true depth and the impact of injuries to play makers all over the field, including Klein?  Too obvious.

• A fiery diatribe aimed at the myriad of coaching, game planning, and play calling miscues?  Too misplaced.

• A scathing editorial on Sport Illustrated's ill-timed cover?  Too desperate.

• A thoughtful thesis on how tough the BigXII is and how hard it is to beat everyone in the most difficult league, top to bottom, in the nation?  Too ... boring.

The only acceptable way to process this is actually far more simple:

If in August you were presented with a scenario in which KSU would have an 11-1 regular season, a BigXII Championship, a BCS game, have a player in the Heisman race, and be in the hunt for the national title, you would of shed a single tear and said, "Our prayers have been answered. 1000 times over yes ... I couldn't possibly ask for more."

Well, God listened and blessed us with an opportunity for that very scenario. So let's suck it up and move on. There are no other options.

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We are still on track for the greatest season in KSU history.

A BigXII conference title still awaits. A "controversy free" BCS game against Oregon is still out there (a nod to 2003, thank you very much).  A BCS bowl game win would still be the first one in school history.  And believe it or not, we are not mathematically out of the race for the national title as we are currently ranked #6 in the BCS. (I know, this is the Koolaid talking and I've made it a little stronger than usual today.)

USC could technically beat Notre Dame, although not likely with Barkley out.  Alabama and Georgia play each other, Florida still has to play #10 Florida State, and Oregon must still play Oregon State, and possibly UCLA in the title game -- all putting KSU back in the discussion.

Blair Kerkoff agrees.

As the disappointment clears, what should emerge is a Big 12 championship theme. As crazy as Saturday was with the Wildcats and Oregon, the top BCS teams, defeated, no possibility should be discounted. Remember 2007, when LSU fell to seventh in the BCS standings in the regular-season finale and played in the championship game?

Head into Thanksgiving knowing all will be right again with the KSU nation after we beat Texas on Senior Night in Manhattan in two weeks. This game, and all that it still stands for, will be a huge victory, cementing the Cats first conference title in almost 10 years and a spot for us in the BCS.

Safe travels to everyone this week.

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And a bit of sad news to report. 

We decided over the weekend we are going to have to put down our family cat, Whiskers, tomorrow before heading back to Salina for Thanksgiving. The little stray tabby kitten that adopted Rachel and I eight years ago has steadily gotten more and more sick over the past 6 months and can no longer walk without laboring and has had trouble eating. 

She has been with us through the birth of all of our three children and they are all three equally upset.  There will be a lot of tears.  She is known throughout the entire neighborhood and has spent time going in and out of people's homes we don't even know.  She has friends in every corner of the the block.

So, the clock really is striking for our family as her little life comes to an end.  

Rest assured, though, she will have a special place in K-State Heaven.

Whiskers ECAW
 (Every Cat A Wildman)