Coach McElwain, Ram Coaching Staff, and Ram Players,
We are great at being the little guy. Being the underdog is easy, especially when you are constantly reminded that you are inferior. When you are told that you are not in a premier conference. When you are told that you are not a football school. When you are told that you do not deserve to even be playing schools from the BCS conferences. When a majority of the residents in the state support your rival. But those doubts unite us and give us a goal: PROVE THEM WRONG. When CU ranked in the top 10 in the country, Bradlee Van Pelt bounced a football off their helmet. When CU talked about playing their "little brother up north" on their home turf, we rolled into Folsom and stormed their field in victory. When the outside belief that we should play second fiddle to CU is constantly crammed down our throats, we elevate ourselves in the classroom and on the field. We become smarter, stronger, and better. We become Rams.
Going into Sunday's game, things look a little different from what we are accustom to seeing. Yes, CU will still be in a "better" conference. Yes, we will be outnumbered at Sports Authority Field. Yes, they will call us the "little brother" (which makes no sense since we are an older institution than they are). But this year, we are favored. As much as I love seeing our program appear to be in better shape than the Buffoons, being favored is not necessarily where we want to be. Remember, we thrive as the little guy. We use that giant chip on our shoulders as our motivation to beat a self-proclaimed "superior" opponent.
My hope is that being the favorite means nothing to you. I am ready for you to get on the field and act like we are 10 point dogs - hungry, aggressive, and physical. I am ready to win all three aspects of the game. I am ready for the west side of the stadium to be empty before the game is over. I am ready to watch the black and gold turn tail and run back to Boulder. I am ready to show them the greatness of Colorado State University.
This weekend, we continue our journey into our Bold New Era. One team. One town. One dream. Let's get after it.
Mike Flick
CSU Class of 2005
No comments:
Post a Comment