Back to the Gridiron

This weekend I will be attending my first BC football game in about 10 years. I can't recall the exact last game that I went to but I believe it was at the end of the 1998 season though I won't swear I didn't catch a game in 1999. I am dutifully excited about it but at the same time I will miss my weekly ritual of sitting on the couch watching several different games from noon through bedtime. It will be interesting to see how the team handles the news this week of the departure of Justin Tuggle and Josh Haden.

On that note, I think more is being made of this departure than it actually is. Some people are attributing it to added turmoil in a program that had faced its share of obstacles this year. But I don't see it that way. Quite frankly I'm surprised that there haven't been more kids transferring with all the head coaching issues the program has had these past few seasons. Even top schools lose important players when the coaching staff changes. A good example would be Ryan Mallett who left Michigan for Arkansas because he knew that Bobby Petrino would offer an offense geared more towards his skills than Rich Rodriquez.

Now I am not putting Tuggle and Haden in that same echelon of player as Mallett and Frank Spaziani is certainly not as drastic a change in coaching style as going from Llyod Carr to Rich Rod. But the fact remains that both players were recruited by someone else and neither was looking at having much hope of serious playing time or of being the star at the Heights. I don't blame them for wanting to go somewhere else and play every down instead of riding the bench (Tuggle) or platooning and being on the short end of that platoon (Haden). Both players were passed by other players who have simply shown themselves to be the better fit for the system. One might even argue that Tuggle had even moved to third in the depth chart behind true freshman Mascovetra. Plus, from what Montel Harris has said, it sounds as though Haden has never been happy at BC and if that is the case then it is better for both sides that he leaves and opens a spot for someone who actually wants to be at the Heights.

College football is about a lot of things but one of the most important elements is passion. If you are unhappy with your situation you will lose some of that passion and not perform to the best of your ability. I wish both Haden and Tuggle the best and hope they find a home that wants them as much as they want to be there. Undoubtedly, they will be missed by the Eagles but as this team has done all year I expect them to rise about the distraction and continue to play hard. They will certainly need it this weekend against a very good Central Michigan squad who in beating us could be on their way to a very special season.