This was going to be (was PLANNED to be for the last near on exactly 24 HOURS as a matter of fact) a rather long and detailed exposition about the idea and EXPERIENCE of “Hopelessness”.
However, by now I’ve had occasion both to write about it in detail and to further consider it repeatedly and (despite great effort NOT to) at length.
For these reasons and as a result, I will instead TRY to keep this relatively short and sweet:
First, of course, as a Gator could there be anything more “Hopeless” than, upon the heals of last night’s tortuous in-game events, culminating in what was for us the most frustrating final few moments of a Florida Gator football game in some time, to then have to face the following night and day of having to endure (and IGNORE) even my own iPhone trumpeting the “huge Kentucky UPSET of Top Ten Florida” and the now dramatic “rush by UK into and UP the Top 20 rankings”?
Little could ADD to that very feeling of “hopelessness”...It was an inescapable item of NEWS—and bad as we ALL feel and FELT in the game’s aftermath, the actual “inescapable” nature of said “aftermath” only further intensified that sense of hopelessness...You might say we were “helplessly hopeless”;
To the degree that we all were and are already as “hopeless” with regard to the current state and potential future of our OWN team and program, we sure look forward to whatever our Coach will do in reaction to not only yesterday’s events, but the deeper problems and weaknesses that have thereby been further revealed. Only in seeing, facing and doing EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to FIX it, going forward, will we have ANY HOPE of going where we dream of going, achieve long-shared goals—our players and Coaches having worked so hard to do so.
We all had HOPED that we were “close”—at the very least were on the verge of COMPETING to JOIN the elite of teams: To have a chance among those invited to play in the CFB.
Personally, I can envision little MORE “hopeless” than to now have to go out and face Vandy, the widely-acknowledged weakest football team and program (with respect to their on-field play, anyway) in the SEC: In the very moment when our honor and proficiency-of-play might ONLY be reclaimed, however minutely, we instead face a team with whom, even under the best circumstances, only our NOT winning easily and by lopsided score could affect our standing in public esteem; as it is, no performance or outcome will help to rebuild our honor OR self-esteem.
Now, no matter what else, it is clear that we had and HAVE substantially more progress, work, and time required to further improve our play.
We’re not as “close” as we had “HOPED”.
However, by now I’ve had occasion both to write about it in detail and to further consider it repeatedly and (despite great effort NOT to) at length.
For these reasons and as a result, I will instead TRY to keep this relatively short and sweet:
First, of course, as a Gator could there be anything more “Hopeless” than, upon the heals of last night’s tortuous in-game events, culminating in what was for us the most frustrating final few moments of a Florida Gator football game in some time, to then have to face the following night and day of having to endure (and IGNORE) even my own iPhone trumpeting the “huge Kentucky UPSET of Top Ten Florida” and the now dramatic “rush by UK into and UP the Top 20 rankings”?
Little could ADD to that very feeling of “hopelessness”...It was an inescapable item of NEWS—and bad as we ALL feel and FELT in the game’s aftermath, the actual “inescapable” nature of said “aftermath” only further intensified that sense of hopelessness...You might say we were “helplessly hopeless”;
To the degree that we all were and are already as “hopeless” with regard to the current state and potential future of our OWN team and program, we sure look forward to whatever our Coach will do in reaction to not only yesterday’s events, but the deeper problems and weaknesses that have thereby been further revealed. Only in seeing, facing and doing EVERYTHING POSSIBLE to FIX it, going forward, will we have ANY HOPE of going where we dream of going, achieve long-shared goals—our players and Coaches having worked so hard to do so.
We all had HOPED that we were “close”—at the very least were on the verge of COMPETING to JOIN the elite of teams: To have a chance among those invited to play in the CFB.
Personally, I can envision little MORE “hopeless” than to now have to go out and face Vandy, the widely-acknowledged weakest football team and program (with respect to their on-field play, anyway) in the SEC: In the very moment when our honor and proficiency-of-play might ONLY be reclaimed, however minutely, we instead face a team with whom, even under the best circumstances, only our NOT winning easily and by lopsided score could affect our standing in public esteem; as it is, no performance or outcome will help to rebuild our honor OR self-esteem.
Now, no matter what else, it is clear that we had and HAVE substantially more progress, work, and time required to further improve our play.
We’re not as “close” as we had “HOPED”.