Great Scott
You knew that headline was coming. Da’Rel Scott wins the Humanitarian Bowl MVP. But before we carry him off on our virtual shoulders let’s look at a few things. First of all, the half time score was 28-14, so while Scott was on the bench the Terps built a 14 point lead, then Scott enters the game and we end up winning by 7? How can you give the MVP to the guy when the team played better without him. Second of all, he let both his teammates and the entire Maryland fanbase down by blowing off his curfew (is there really that much going on in Boise that makes you lay in bed and say to yourself “I got to get up and get back out there, I’m missing everything!”). So before we all sing his praises let’s stop and mull those points over.
But before someone takes me too seriously, let me just say that yes, Da’Rel Scott was the Humanitarian Bowl MVP. It was a no brainer. Sure the score was closer in the 2nd half, but to shoot down my own two bit argument, it wasn’t because of anything he did. And yes there was the curfew thing, but again, think back to when you were in College, these kids are young and though it was a stupid thing to do, you have to expect that sort of behavior when your hopes and aspirations rest on the shoulders of 20 year old kids. We just all need to tip our cap to Ralph Friedgen who handled the entire situation perfectly, in fact you could say he turned the suspension into an advantage. Not an easy thing to do.
Which leads me to my next question, was Scott’s effectiveness a result of having the freshest legs against a tired Nevada Defense, or was it a sign that he took his starting role for granted, and once he got back into the game he played with all his might to make sure he retains that position in the future? We may never truly know the answer, but I’m hoping it’s the later. Scott has the talent to make a run (pun intended) at first team All ACC next year, and hopefully the year after that as well, but he has got to work on holding on to the ball. If the Humanitarian Bowl was a moment in Scott’s life where he found clarity and decided to re-dedicate himself, well then we got a heck of a lot more out of the Humanitarian Bowl than another painted sign to stick up on the field house. I guess we will find out in about 9 months.
But in the meantime, let’s celebrate Scott, no, check that, let’s celebrate for all the Terps, because everyone played a large role in this victory. Congratulations guys, you are the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl Champs. You played tough, you played entertaining football, and you made us all proud. Of course you also have made Labor Day seem even further away, but I’ll give you a pass on that one.
Extra Droppings
The temperature I used in my blog title a few days ago was 36-28, which isn’t too far off from the 42-35 final score, so consider yourself lucky. Had it been any closer, you might have just finished reading a blog about how I am the best meteorological football prognosticator that ever lived, and wouldn’t that have been entertaining!
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on Wednesday, December 31st, 2008 at 9:02 am and is filed under Maryland Terps Football.
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