Perspective
by: Gary Kline

The anticipation and excitement that I felt this morning was beyond what my instincts told me was rational for this type of event. After all, football is merely a game. However, the Herd has seldom disappointed lately, so there was no reason to believe that today would be different then the type of days that we have come to expect as a fan of Marshall football. You have to admit we have been a spoiled lot lately. We have had our share of speed bumps, but none have deterred us from our journey.

That is why I approached my day with more enthusiasm then Mondays tend to offer. You see, today was only a formality, a stepping stone if you will, to Marshall�s newest climb in the world of college football. Unable to work I jumped from message board to message board for word of our offer and acceptance to C-USA. I was unprepared for what was to come. C-USA talks had been tabled. The immediate reaction by Herd Nation was equally disappointing. I have always felt part of the magic of being a Herd fan was the tremendous positive attitude that surrounded its� members. We�ve been through alot over the years and we have always handled our setbacks by gaining a greater resolve and sense of purpose.

Unable to hide my disappointment and being of no value at work, I left the office with no destination or purpose in mind other then the therapeutic nature of a quiet drive. I don�t know what led me there, but I instinctively headed to I-64 past Huntington to the Kenova exit that sent me a few miles past TriState airport. From the guard rails of an old stretch of Tolsia Highway, I pulled over at the sight of the power line towers that marked a nondescript piece of land that held the answers to what was troubling me. You see, it was this very site, where more then 30 years ago, a plane carrying precious human cargo, crashed violently into this God forsaken hillside in Wayne county, extinguishing the lives of a young team and giving rise to the spirit that has fueled Marshall football to unfathomable heights. The spirit that was born out of this tragedy lives in each of us. It is what makes Marshall football special. I also couldn�t help but thinking about the present events of our nation as well. In New York, thousands of bodies still lie beneath the rubble of destruction, perpetrated by those in the world who have lost or distorted perspective.

I found my perspective today. On a quiet stretch of road that goes largely unnoticed by most passerbys, I realized that tribulation and heartbreak are part of life and football is merely a game that we take way too serious. Yes today was disappointing, but it may very well have a happy ending. As one of this boards denizens has preached, "believingÓ is part of what sets Herd Nation apart from other fans. But life has a balancing nature and believing is sometimes offset by the disappointment that it can deal. Today we are disappointed ......but you still got to believe!