Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 4, 1994 TAG: 9410040064
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: STEPHEN FOSTER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Hokies, that is. On Saturday, that dreadful day.
Stone me, belittle me, curse me, do what you must - I accept the punishment.
I should've known.
I'm not superstitious. I know the Phillies didn't lose the World Series last year to the Blue Jays just because I was watching the game in a different bar than I was in when they'd taken their two victories. I know the United States didn't lose to Brazil in the World Cup just because a thunderstorm knocked out our television mid-game. I've never watched any ACC basketball team battling ever-winning North Carolina and been afraid to move from my spot for fear of causing a cosmic shift that would make that next shot rim out instead of falling through the net.
Honest, I know these things don't change the course of sporting events.
But I, a Hokie alumnus myself, committed the unpardonable sin last week. I looked ahead. And I knowthat did it.
You see, I started talking about what might happen afterthe Syracuse game beforeit happened. I started asking a few people around the office and around Blacksburg, trying to feel out the interest for a road trip, say, around Oct. 29.
If - I stressed the word "if," but obviously it wasn't enough to overturn the brazen presumptuousness of my proposal - Virginia Tech wins Saturday against the Orangemen, would anyone be interested in traveling to Florida to see Tech take on Miami? I asked. It looked like - if Tech could win Saturday - they'd probably be 8-0 going into that game.
Several people were interested. Downright psyched at the idea.
Then Saturday came, and many of the newspaper's New RIver bureau staff decided to gather at our assistant editor's house for chili, beer, blueberry pie and rowdy gridiron gawking. I wonder how many other groups of people around Tech and around the state, duly impressed by Tech's No. 10 ranking in the CNN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, came together for the first time to see what this Tech team could do.
I wonder how many of them groaned at the penalties, a dropped touchdown pass, and big plays for Syracuse during the first half. Then were gleefully stunned as Tech kicked a field goal after a fluke of a play at the end of the period.
I wonder how many people around Virginia, folks who normally maintain a bit of detachment from the Hokies' game, then became enthused in the third quarter. How many cheered when Ken Oxendine broke one to put the team ahead. How many gave in to their Neanderthal tendencies - grunting inanely and spewing unified guttural utterances, kind of like, "ggrrrr-uunn-rararrarr-awwrrrr...," mixed in with wild arm gestures - whenever Tech's defense wrapped up its target.
Then how many became morosely silent when Syracuse scored to go up by one, and then again to put the game away.
I know I did.
And as our crowd filtered out of the living room, some muttering, probably unfairly, about the "Chokies," some spouting off about self-esteem and how "it could be for the best" (unaware of how close they were to being throttled), I thought about what had gone wrong.
Oh of course, there were the penalties, some defensive mistakes, Syracuse's speed, too many field goals and not enough touchdowns. But I knew.
I know.I spoke too soon.
I jinxed them. Forgive me.
Crush Temple, Tech.
by CNB