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Originally posted by TripletDaddy
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I've been on some freaky stalker trip this week. Two days ago I run into the entire team.
Yesterday, Charles Abouos brother is on both legs of my flight and I'm right by him on one of the segments, so we chat for awhile about Chuck and the season. This is the guy that many folks have seen rocking BYU gear...dude is thick and has a head full of dreads. Nicest guy you will meet. And the Abouos fly UAL, yeah!
So today we are running errands with the Puffy Check. We go to that Old Navy on University Pkwy to take advantage of the fantastic deal on plastic sandals (2 for $5!). On our way out the door, who comes walking down the sidewalk but Noah Hartsock and a girl...his wife, I assume. (Noah, you dog!
)
Anyway, I said hi and congratulated him on such a wonderful season. I asked "so how are you feeling?" he said they were all a little bummed and wished they could still be playing but overall he said they all loved the season. He asked if I saw the game and I told him I was at NOLA, reminding him that i was the guy that told him as he was getting on the bus that he was going to go 5/5 against Florida like he did against the zags. He laughed at this and said that he remembered our group outside the hotel.
I debated asking and finally decided to ask..."so what happened in OT?" I knew I was treading on personal ground there but hey...this was my one shot to get the inside scoop firsthand from someone that was in the game. He was pretty straightforward. He said that while they were gassed, it had more to do with the first 3 possessions...missed opportunities. He wasnt bitter, he explained that Florida started playing with more and more confidence (that was his exact word) and BYU couldn't catch up. They weren't playing scared, they just simply ran out of time to catch up to the team that was playing on fire.
One thing that really impressed me about Hartsock....this was basically 48 hours after his dream season ended and he is taking the time to talk to a scrub on the street. He didn't mention a single thing about refs or how he Thought Florida wasn't that good or any other excuse. He put the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the team. In fact he was quite complimentary of Florida. He also said that the team felt bad for maybe letting down all the fans. This is where I cut off Noah Hartsock and gave him my speech.
I called my son over and introduced little Goby to Noah. I explained that he played for BYU basketball and my son lit up, saying that he had been to the MC and ate candy and popcorn. I told Noah that on behalf of a bunch of fans, if not all of them, the team had nothing to feel badly about and in fact, that they should be so proud of what they had done and what they had given BYU fans worldwide. I told him that this was the greatest team in BYU history and that the memories they provided will last us all a lifetime. I told him that BYU fans love him and the team and they will always be grateful for this memorable season. I closed by telling him to be proud and again thanked him for everything. He and his wife said thanks and then they went on their way.
It made my day to be able to thank him, and by proxy, to thank the team. How cool that I got to see them this week. I'm still excited about it.
This was a great season. For those that are still struggling with the loss, focus on the positive. I think you will be surprised at just how much fun you actually had this year.
Yesterday, Charles Abouos brother is on both legs of my flight and I'm right by him on one of the segments, so we chat for awhile about Chuck and the season. This is the guy that many folks have seen rocking BYU gear...dude is thick and has a head full of dreads. Nicest guy you will meet. And the Abouos fly UAL, yeah!
So today we are running errands with the Puffy Check. We go to that Old Navy on University Pkwy to take advantage of the fantastic deal on plastic sandals (2 for $5!). On our way out the door, who comes walking down the sidewalk but Noah Hartsock and a girl...his wife, I assume. (Noah, you dog!
)Anyway, I said hi and congratulated him on such a wonderful season. I asked "so how are you feeling?" he said they were all a little bummed and wished they could still be playing but overall he said they all loved the season. He asked if I saw the game and I told him I was at NOLA, reminding him that i was the guy that told him as he was getting on the bus that he was going to go 5/5 against Florida like he did against the zags. He laughed at this and said that he remembered our group outside the hotel.
I debated asking and finally decided to ask..."so what happened in OT?" I knew I was treading on personal ground there but hey...this was my one shot to get the inside scoop firsthand from someone that was in the game. He was pretty straightforward. He said that while they were gassed, it had more to do with the first 3 possessions...missed opportunities. He wasnt bitter, he explained that Florida started playing with more and more confidence (that was his exact word) and BYU couldn't catch up. They weren't playing scared, they just simply ran out of time to catch up to the team that was playing on fire.
One thing that really impressed me about Hartsock....this was basically 48 hours after his dream season ended and he is taking the time to talk to a scrub on the street. He didn't mention a single thing about refs or how he Thought Florida wasn't that good or any other excuse. He put the responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the team. In fact he was quite complimentary of Florida. He also said that the team felt bad for maybe letting down all the fans. This is where I cut off Noah Hartsock and gave him my speech.
I called my son over and introduced little Goby to Noah. I explained that he played for BYU basketball and my son lit up, saying that he had been to the MC and ate candy and popcorn. I told Noah that on behalf of a bunch of fans, if not all of them, the team had nothing to feel badly about and in fact, that they should be so proud of what they had done and what they had given BYU fans worldwide. I told him that this was the greatest team in BYU history and that the memories they provided will last us all a lifetime. I told him that BYU fans love him and the team and they will always be grateful for this memorable season. I closed by telling him to be proud and again thanked him for everything. He and his wife said thanks and then they went on their way.
It made my day to be able to thank him, and by proxy, to thank the team. How cool that I got to see them this week. I'm still excited about it.
This was a great season. For those that are still struggling with the loss, focus on the positive. I think you will be surprised at just how much fun you actually had this year.
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