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Have you ever rooted against your favorite team or at least rooted for an outcome that you thought would benefit your favorite team in the long run more than in the short run?
Some Virginia fans have faced that quandary this year, especially lately. I have been able to find some UVa fans that have hoped the team would lose because they wanted Mike London fired (granted, this was probably not the case at the beginning of the year, only within the past couple weeks). While it might be reprehensible for them to root against their favorite team, it can be justified because they would say they are sacrificing short-term gains (wins) for long-term health of the football program (get a new coach that would presumably make Virginia better).
I started this season extremely cautiously rooting for UVa. My expectations were the opposite of sky high after a 2-10 campaign in 2013. I almost watched the first game vs. UCLA out of curiosity rather than passion to follow my favorite team. I had no belief that the Cavaliers would upset the top-10 ranked Bruins. I was right, they didn't, but they played a pretty good game, only losing 28-20 and only allowing one UCLA offensive touchdown in the process.
I was not a believer yet in this team, so I wasn't even expecting an easy win against Richmond in Week 2. The 'Hoos had not won since early September 2013. But the Cavaliers downed the Spiders fairly easy. The next week, UVa got some lucky bounces, played great defense, and did enough on offense to upset top-25 ranked Louisville in Charlottesville. I was starting to get hooked but still cheered with trepidation. The following week was a road game at a ranked BYU squad. The team held its own and even led, 16-13, at the break but ended up losing, 41-33. Still, I was impressed with the performance and began thinking the team could compete for an ACC Coastal Division title.
After the loss to the Cougars, Virginia got a reprieve in the schedule as it faced a terrible Kent State squad. The team played horribly in the first half, the first time that Virginia looked like the 2013 team all year, and only led the Golden Flashes 14-10 at the half. The Cavs shook off their issues in the second half, though, and prevailed in a blowout. The next week came the first night game since 2012 at Scott Stadium vs. Pittsburgh and fans were fired up for the game. And for the first time this year, and in a long time, I was feeling good about Virginia's chances (I did, too, vs. Richmond and Kent State but I mean feeling good in a meaningful game where it isn't clear that Virginia had the edge). Virginia won, 24-19, riding a dominant first half where the Cavaliers got up 24-3. I was really starting to go all in on the team.
I got to feel good about Virginia for an extra week with a bye. After the bye, Virginia played at Duke, which has been a kryptonite for UVa in recent seasons, even when Duke was not as good as it is now. I thought that the Cavaliers would be able to fare well vs. the Blue Devils, having an extra week to prepare. I picked UVa to lose, but I thought the chances for a win were fairly high. UVa played a pretty bad game and lost, 20-13.
Then came the UNC game. The Tar Heels came into the contest with perhaps the worst defense in all of FBS football. The first half went well as Virginia moved the ball all over UNC and went up, 14-0 and eventually 24-21 at the end of the half. The second half was awful for the offense as it mustered only three points. The defense played well but broke at the wrong time and the Heels ended up winning, 28-27. Greyson Lambert threw two huge picks but I could only get so mad at him because on the second one, a screen pass to short running back Kevin Parks, I had to wonder why the coaches were calling a pass play at the North Carolina 35-yard line up six about midway through the fourth quarter. Parks had a great yards-per-carry-average in the game. Run the ball. On the ensuing kickoff after the UNC TD, Virginia was caught off-guard and the Tar Heels kicked onside and recovered it. They were able to run out the clock and Virginia endured another excruciating loss. And, like so many similar losses in the London era, the defeat seemed to come down to coaching and mismanaged game situations.
As I watched the last couple minutes hopelessly wind off the clock during that game, my blood was boiling. I was so angry at the situation I had put myself in. I knew all along that pulling hard for this team was a risky proposition. For half the season, though, Virginia played above its head and went 4-2. The Cavs sucked me in, I bought in, and had just gotten burned. The Duke game was bad and then for UNC, the feeling got worse. Yes, certain players had screwed up in the UNC game, but I was projecting more of my anger toward the coaches because of the build up of bad coaching decisions that seemed to bite Virginia ever since the 2012 season. I was fed up. I was pretty much officially done with the London regime at that point. Good guy, #usedtobeacop, but he was not a good football coach and he had proven that over 4.5 years.
So I tuned out after the loss to the Tar Heels. I honestly don't remember what I was doing the next week, but I didn't watch the Georgia Tech game and don't remember wanting to. I had a bad feeling going into the game and was trying to detach myself from the season anyway to spare myself the pain. Virginia lost to GT in a blowout. The next week, Virginia traveled to Florida State and even though the Seminoles had looked vulnerable, I figured UVa would get blown out because the game was on the road and I thought the Cavaliers were about to throw in the towel on the season. Instead, Virginia took a 13-7 lead but ended up losing, 34-20. UVa even had a chance to close the gap to 34-27 as the fourth quarter passed the midway point. The effort was valiant and it was clear, and also maddening, to see that the talent was there to hang with and maybe even beat FSU, but the playcalling and decision making was not.
Then came this past weekend. I sat down in front of the TV, back to square one. Like the UCLA contest, I watched almost more out of curiosity as opposed to a great desire to watch my favorite team try to win a big football game. I was feeling detached emotionally -- I was not going to let a loss scar me. A loss would mean a 4-7 record, which would mean no bowl game, which would possibly mean no more London after the season. Could that be the worst thing?
Virginia had another bye week before hosting Miami and this time, the Cavaliers came out looking much better off the extra week. As you know by now, the Wahoos won; not only won, but beat down the Hurricanes convincingly, 30-13. It was actually one of the first times I would say where I watched Virginia win and was not 100 percent invested. It felt almost like an out-of-body experience. I was happy we won, but not ecstatic.
As good as we looked, and for other reasons I have really thought about the past couple days, I have a feeling that London will be back next year. That made the victory not as sweet for me because I had already dumped London in my mind. And I still think that London coming back is bad for the long-term outlook of the program. I just don't think UVa can be consistently good with London at the helm. I think the ceiling for a London team is about the 8-5 2011 team that was a handful of plays away from being 6-6 in the regular season or worse.
With all that said, it is Tech week now. I cannot of right mind root for the Hokies over my Cavaliers. It has a been a tough, trying year. Most of the fanbase, I think, believes that London is not the answer at head coach and wants him fired. I am there, too. I like the guy, as I have said, but that doesn't matter anymore. I don't think he is a good head coach.
But, I think he has done enough to convince the administration to bring him back for another year. The buyout for him and his staff would still be quite high, even if it might be lower than if they had been fired after last season. The team has been better in 2014 and has won, at this point, three more games than in 2013. The players love London and play hard for him. He obviously has not lost the team, as evidenced by the blowout of Miami. The effort is still there. Recruiting is still pretty good. London runs a clean program. And, as you have probably noticed in the news lately, UVa is dealing with bigger issues right now than football. A coach who runs a clean program, is liked by his players, and has them involved positively in the community does not look too bad right now compared to some other problems the university is dealing with.
Let me be clear. I am talking about what I think is going to happen, not what I want to happen. If you are rooting against UVa this week, I think it is the wrong move. Maybe if the 'Hoos were out of the bowl picture and playing a random team like Connecticut, I could see the argument. A meaningless loss would drive the final stake into London's tenure and then the program could move on with a new and hopefully better coach. But UVa is still in the bowl picture and I believe that London is coming back, win or lose.
And it is Virginia Tech. In Blacksburg. The Hokies have topped the Cavaliers 10 consecutive times and in 13 of the last 14 meetings. Seven straight times in Blacksburg. They beat UVa in defacto ACC Coastal division championship games in 2007 and 2011 (both at Scott Stadium). They beat UVa in 2004 to win the ACC when Virginia could have tied for first with Florida State. They beat UVa in 2001 and 2008 to knock the Cavs out of bowl contention. And UVa has a chance to not only end the winning streak of its archrival in the series and go to a bowl, but an opportunity to end the Hokies' 21-year bowl streak, which is the second-longest in FBS. In the process, Virginia could set off serious speculation about Tech coach Frank Beamer's job security.
If you aren't rooting for Virginia on Friday night, are you a true 'Hoo?
Have you ever rooted against your favorite team or at least rooted for an outcome that you thought would benefit your favorite team in the long run more than in the short run?
Some Virginia fans have faced that quandary this year, especially lately. I have been able to find some UVa fans that have hoped the team would lose because they wanted Mike London fired (granted, this was probably not the case at the beginning of the year, only within the past couple weeks). While it might be reprehensible for them to root against their favorite team, it can be justified because they would say they are sacrificing short-term gains (wins) for long-term health of the football program (get a new coach that would presumably make Virginia better).
I started this season extremely cautiously rooting for UVa. My expectations were the opposite of sky high after a 2-10 campaign in 2013. I almost watched the first game vs. UCLA out of curiosity rather than passion to follow my favorite team. I had no belief that the Cavaliers would upset the top-10 ranked Bruins. I was right, they didn't, but they played a pretty good game, only losing 28-20 and only allowing one UCLA offensive touchdown in the process.
I was not a believer yet in this team, so I wasn't even expecting an easy win against Richmond in Week 2. The 'Hoos had not won since early September 2013. But the Cavaliers downed the Spiders fairly easy. The next week, UVa got some lucky bounces, played great defense, and did enough on offense to upset top-25 ranked Louisville in Charlottesville. I was starting to get hooked but still cheered with trepidation. The following week was a road game at a ranked BYU squad. The team held its own and even led, 16-13, at the break but ended up losing, 41-33. Still, I was impressed with the performance and began thinking the team could compete for an ACC Coastal Division title.
After the loss to the Cougars, Virginia got a reprieve in the schedule as it faced a terrible Kent State squad. The team played horribly in the first half, the first time that Virginia looked like the 2013 team all year, and only led the Golden Flashes 14-10 at the half. The Cavs shook off their issues in the second half, though, and prevailed in a blowout. The next week came the first night game since 2012 at Scott Stadium vs. Pittsburgh and fans were fired up for the game. And for the first time this year, and in a long time, I was feeling good about Virginia's chances (I did, too, vs. Richmond and Kent State but I mean feeling good in a meaningful game where it isn't clear that Virginia had the edge). Virginia won, 24-19, riding a dominant first half where the Cavaliers got up 24-3. I was really starting to go all in on the team.
I got to feel good about Virginia for an extra week with a bye. After the bye, Virginia played at Duke, which has been a kryptonite for UVa in recent seasons, even when Duke was not as good as it is now. I thought that the Cavaliers would be able to fare well vs. the Blue Devils, having an extra week to prepare. I picked UVa to lose, but I thought the chances for a win were fairly high. UVa played a pretty bad game and lost, 20-13.
Then came the UNC game. The Tar Heels came into the contest with perhaps the worst defense in all of FBS football. The first half went well as Virginia moved the ball all over UNC and went up, 14-0 and eventually 24-21 at the end of the half. The second half was awful for the offense as it mustered only three points. The defense played well but broke at the wrong time and the Heels ended up winning, 28-27. Greyson Lambert threw two huge picks but I could only get so mad at him because on the second one, a screen pass to short running back Kevin Parks, I had to wonder why the coaches were calling a pass play at the North Carolina 35-yard line up six about midway through the fourth quarter. Parks had a great yards-per-carry-average in the game. Run the ball. On the ensuing kickoff after the UNC TD, Virginia was caught off-guard and the Tar Heels kicked onside and recovered it. They were able to run out the clock and Virginia endured another excruciating loss. And, like so many similar losses in the London era, the defeat seemed to come down to coaching and mismanaged game situations.
As I watched the last couple minutes hopelessly wind off the clock during that game, my blood was boiling. I was so angry at the situation I had put myself in. I knew all along that pulling hard for this team was a risky proposition. For half the season, though, Virginia played above its head and went 4-2. The Cavs sucked me in, I bought in, and had just gotten burned. The Duke game was bad and then for UNC, the feeling got worse. Yes, certain players had screwed up in the UNC game, but I was projecting more of my anger toward the coaches because of the build up of bad coaching decisions that seemed to bite Virginia ever since the 2012 season. I was fed up. I was pretty much officially done with the London regime at that point. Good guy, #usedtobeacop, but he was not a good football coach and he had proven that over 4.5 years.
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| It has been a rough couple seasons for Mike London and most of the fanbase wants him gone, but I think he has done enough to not be fired. I might not like the decision, but that is what I think is going to happen. As UVa fans, we might as well make the most of that situation on Friday night as we watch the Virginia-Virginia Tech game. |
Then came this past weekend. I sat down in front of the TV, back to square one. Like the UCLA contest, I watched almost more out of curiosity as opposed to a great desire to watch my favorite team try to win a big football game. I was feeling detached emotionally -- I was not going to let a loss scar me. A loss would mean a 4-7 record, which would mean no bowl game, which would possibly mean no more London after the season. Could that be the worst thing?
Virginia had another bye week before hosting Miami and this time, the Cavaliers came out looking much better off the extra week. As you know by now, the Wahoos won; not only won, but beat down the Hurricanes convincingly, 30-13. It was actually one of the first times I would say where I watched Virginia win and was not 100 percent invested. It felt almost like an out-of-body experience. I was happy we won, but not ecstatic.
As good as we looked, and for other reasons I have really thought about the past couple days, I have a feeling that London will be back next year. That made the victory not as sweet for me because I had already dumped London in my mind. And I still think that London coming back is bad for the long-term outlook of the program. I just don't think UVa can be consistently good with London at the helm. I think the ceiling for a London team is about the 8-5 2011 team that was a handful of plays away from being 6-6 in the regular season or worse.
With all that said, it is Tech week now. I cannot of right mind root for the Hokies over my Cavaliers. It has a been a tough, trying year. Most of the fanbase, I think, believes that London is not the answer at head coach and wants him fired. I am there, too. I like the guy, as I have said, but that doesn't matter anymore. I don't think he is a good head coach.
But, I think he has done enough to convince the administration to bring him back for another year. The buyout for him and his staff would still be quite high, even if it might be lower than if they had been fired after last season. The team has been better in 2014 and has won, at this point, three more games than in 2013. The players love London and play hard for him. He obviously has not lost the team, as evidenced by the blowout of Miami. The effort is still there. Recruiting is still pretty good. London runs a clean program. And, as you have probably noticed in the news lately, UVa is dealing with bigger issues right now than football. A coach who runs a clean program, is liked by his players, and has them involved positively in the community does not look too bad right now compared to some other problems the university is dealing with.
Let me be clear. I am talking about what I think is going to happen, not what I want to happen. If you are rooting against UVa this week, I think it is the wrong move. Maybe if the 'Hoos were out of the bowl picture and playing a random team like Connecticut, I could see the argument. A meaningless loss would drive the final stake into London's tenure and then the program could move on with a new and hopefully better coach. But UVa is still in the bowl picture and I believe that London is coming back, win or lose.
And it is Virginia Tech. In Blacksburg. The Hokies have topped the Cavaliers 10 consecutive times and in 13 of the last 14 meetings. Seven straight times in Blacksburg. They beat UVa in defacto ACC Coastal division championship games in 2007 and 2011 (both at Scott Stadium). They beat UVa in 2004 to win the ACC when Virginia could have tied for first with Florida State. They beat UVa in 2001 and 2008 to knock the Cavs out of bowl contention. And UVa has a chance to not only end the winning streak of its archrival in the series and go to a bowl, but an opportunity to end the Hokies' 21-year bowl streak, which is the second-longest in FBS. In the process, Virginia could set off serious speculation about Tech coach Frank Beamer's job security.
If you aren't rooting for Virginia on Friday night, are you a true 'Hoo?
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