And now we've come full circle. You can see that the final loss to Ohio State during my senior year at Michigan was certainly a heartbreaker. Perhaps my passion for Michigan Football and tradition had gone too far, but I don't regret that for a moment. And like I have said, the parallels between my senior years of college and high school have taught me to appreciate all that I have learned from my experiences, even if the end can't be so perfect.
Senior Altos with the "Senior Banner."
So, here we go. Now, after eight years of music, eight years of marching band, and eight years of heart-attack-inducing and drug-addition-triggering events, I had one final bowl game, and then I'd be done. We were slated to play in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando against the University of Florida. Here's the situation: Florida was the defending national champion, they were under the leadership of a Heisman-winning quarterback, and we'd have to play them in their home territory. We were huge underdogs, to put it mildly. This was slightly liberating, though. Since neither I nor any of my peers expected us to win, there was no tension. Our final bowl game would just be a relaxing few days of *FREE* vacation in Florida, a likely blowout loss in the bowl game, and then we'd head home.
Oh, yeah. I was a bus captain. Look how powerful I am.
As expected, the Capital One Bowl trip was more relaxing than trips in previous years. We were performing an easy modern Broadway show that didn't require much rehearsal. Most of our time was spent going to amusement parks or shopping. We spent New Year's Eve at Universal Studios Florida, where I managed to use my employee ID from my days at Universal Studios Hollywood to get 50% discounts for me and my friends. On top of that, I was REALLY impressed with the theme park. After working for a summer at Universal Studios Hollywood, I can vehemently and resolutely say that it is a HORRIBLE place. All of the visitors were always in a bad mood after waiting in endless lines for bad rides, only to wait in longer lines for disgusting food, and then hear me say to them, "Okay, chips and a soda will come out to.....$23.52." And then I would proceed to get verbally abused by them for hours on end, then I'd feel dumb and have to escape backstage to wallow in my own uselessness, and then I'd sense some slight comfort when the Dora the Explorer fuzzy character walked by, but then I'd freak out after she'd take off her mask and reveal a greasy looking guy from South Central with a black eye and a chip on his shoulder because "the man" wouldn't let him join the navy after he refused to confess to joyriding in a stolen vehicle.
Whoh, I got way off-track there. So, yeah. Universal Studios Florida. New Year's Eve. Better than expected. Huzzah!
Universal Studios Florida
When January 1st rolled around, the time had finally come to get spanked by Florida. To be honest, part of me still hoped for a win...just so Lloyd Carr could end his coaching career on a well-deserved high note, and also so the senior football players would earn a fulfulling win after four years of hard work and dedication. And just before I'd start to think that maybe...just maybe...we could actually win this thing, I'd remind myself that we were playing Florida, and then I'd pop some pills and cut my wrists a little bit and everything would go back to normal again.
From the beginning of the game, our offense looked a little different than usual. We were spreading the field more and throwing the ball more often. We scored a touchdown early, and, once again, my hopes lifted. Sure enough, Florida answered with two touchdown drives, and we were down 7-14. We managed to even it out with another touchdown, and then finished the first have with a remarkable drive to go up 21-14 with just eight seconds to go. We were BEATING Florida at halftime. Could it be too good to be true?
Me and Dustin at the game.
After some Wicked and Hairspray tunes, and some disco booty-shaking to "Dancing Queen", the second half was underway. A Mike Hart touchdown run stretched our lead to 28-14, and Florida subsequently tied it back up at 28-28 going into the fourth. In the final quarter, Florida's Percy Harvin scored to send Florida up 35-31. This was it. It had gone too far. My emotions had overcome any sense of reason, and I knew that my fellow seniors were in the same boat. We couldn't lose now...not with a win in reach. At this point, a loss would be like twisting the knife that Ohio State had so thoroughly plunged into our hearts.
Never fear, though, because Chad Henne and Adrian Arrington connected once more to solidify their career days with the final touchdown of the game. One late field goal completed the spectacular victory for the Maize and Blue. Final Score: Michigan 41 - Florida 35.
The feeling was sublime. It was unreal. Yet, it was so elegantly and perfectly appropriate. The coach and players deserved this win, and the world knew it. It was as if fate or karma was correcting itself; as if the lives of these individuals had perilously veered off track, but managed to steer back right before it was too late.
The Altos after the big win.
My fellow bandmembers and I stormed the field and joined the players in jubilation. If you asked me how I felt at this moment in time, I'm not sure I could give an adequate answer. Maybe there are no words than can really describe the emotion, or maybe there was no emotion to be felt. Happiness? Bliss? Perhaps at this point, we were simply beyond "feeling", and, here at the end, we had simply reached an "understanding;" an understanding that this was the way this particular story would end; this was the finale; this was the reconciliation between four evanescent years of dreaming and the final and absolute reality.
And as our eyes welled up and we began to truly appreciate this reality, I saw the players raise their beloved coach onto their shoulders. The rain was drizzling, as if serving as a gentle reminder of the obstacles overcome to get to this point. There they stood beneath the setting sun - the valiant leader and his victorious team. He hailed his players, and they hailed their mentor.
Far did our praises sing, as we bid farewell to an amazing coach - a true Michigan Man. We marched off of the field, fully sensing the finality of each step, because we knew this was it - we'd never come back to this. And, in recognition of the glory they bro't us on this final stage, among these friends and fans, we proudly hailed the victors one last time.
The Victors.
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