Fear The Frog - This Is Why Sports Matter

Sure, sports can be ugly. Sometimes people get unreasonably upset, get into nasty arguments or fist fights, and let it negatively affect their lives. But that really has nothing to do with sports; that's lack of meaning in their lives and/or serious psychological issues that would manifest ugly somewhere else anyway. But that's a different story and not what this is about. Sports can be beautiful, amazing, joyful, inspiring, and so much more. That is what this is about. 

Trevone Boykin (Credit: AP / Ron Jenkins)

TCU Horned Frogs and Oregon Ducks were set for an epic bowl game on January 2nd at the AlamoBowl. Fans of both teams and college football fans in general were really looking forward to seeing two great teams clash, especially the final game of TCU star quarterback, and one of the best players in the country, Trevone Boykin. However, early in the morning on New Year's Eve, Boykin and some friends snuck out of curfew and went to a bar in downtown San Antonio. A few bad Ducks fans recognized him, and heckled him until he was pushed over the edge. Boykin was known to all as an incredibly kind, generous, wonderful, and level-headed guy. In four years, he had never been in trouble, and just months earlier had befriended a seven-year old girl with cerebral palsy, who was representing a children's hospital for an opposing team. This Boykin somehow lost his famous cool, started a barfight, and ended up swinging at the police. It was completely out of character and a shock to everyone. We don't know what was said to him because he has had the upmost dignity and class in the aftermath: no tattletaling, no excuses, no pointing fingers. He respectfully shouldered the entire responsibility for his actions. What is certain is that he was arrested and immediately suspended by TCU. Thousands, and perhaps millions, were disappointed in Boykin, not only because he was severely affecting the upcoming game, but because he was doing great damage to himself. Such a shame.

TCU, with hardly any time to prepare, was going to have to get through with its second and third string quarterbacks. TCU fans, Ducks fans, and neutral fans all said, "Fuck." Everyone had been looking forward to a great matchup, but it looked like it would be another boring blowout at the end of the snooze-fest that was this bowl season. Expectations leading into the game weren't great for TCU, but we all hoped to see them put up a good fight. Personally, I thought maybe this was one of those amazing life twists: giving an opportunity to the backups to become heroes and pull off a miracle upset. But I knew I was just kidding myself. Really, we all just wanted it to not go to hell. 

Bram Kohlhausen (Credit: Patrick Green)

Senior Bram Kohlhausen, who had never started a college game in his life and only subbed in a few games, got the start. Our defense started off well, sacking the Oregon QB and forcing a three-and-out right away. Then, our offense nearly picked up a great first down of many yards, but the receiver couldn't hold onto the good pass and The Frogs were forced to punt. From then on, the first half was all downhill. Oregon scored a touchdown, then we couldn't get anywhere. Oregon scored again, and again we failed. Oregon kept battering us, and we kept faltering and making foolish penalties to dig our holes even deeper. It was an all out slaughter. By the end of the first half, we were down 31-0. All over the country, neutrals were probably switching the channel, and Frog fans in the stadium and watching on tv were collectively bowing our heads, coming to grips with the fact that the game was certainly over. It would be nigh impossible to come back from so far behind.

(Credit: AP / Eric Gay)

TCU had been relentlessly battered, punished, and humiliated. Boykin, Kohlhausen, and the team had dug themselves a hole with their choices and actions that seemed inescapable. I knew exactly how that felt. I won't emo-bore you with details, but the last couple years of my life has felt like that first half. My expectations for the second half were much like my expectations have been recently for myself: not much. When you've been beaten down hard and good, you don't get used to it, but you sure do come to expect more of it. I was expecting more beatings in my life, and I was expecting a continuation of the beatdown for TCU. I just hoped that they would put up a good fight and get a few scores so they could walk away with some dignity, knowing they did their best but just couldn't cope without their star quarterback and their (out injured) star receiver. After all, the circumstances weren't making for a fair fight, just as life sure as shit isn't at all fair. But surely, I felt, the rest of the game—as well as my life—were going to continue to suck. And damn was I clamoring for Coach Gary Patterson to take off Kohlhausen and replace him with third-stringer Foster Sawyer.

(Credit: ESPN)

The Horned Frogs had other ideas. Patterson took off the black shirt he had been wearing the first half and put on the more loved TCU purple. He decided to stick with Kohlhausen, much to my disbelief. We don't know what all Patterson said to the team, but we do know what he said to Kohlhausen, whose father had sadly passed away a couple months ago after a long battle with cancer: "Can you imagine he's watching, can you imagine if you came back? Can you come back? Can you win this football game?" Bram Kohlhausen did imagine, and he took it to heart. He strapped his cleats right back up and came out fighting with an unbelievable amount of belief, heart, and soul. And so did the rest of the team.

Kohlhausen's winning TD.  (Credit: AP / Eric Gay)

TCU scored, and then immediately stopped Oregon from advancing. And then scored again, and again stopped Oregon. And again, and again, and again. The Horned Frogs turned the tables and now The Ducks were being relentlessly pounded and embarrassed. Kohlhausen and team were taking no prisoners in this war on the turf. When most teams would have settled, bowed their heads in defeat and barely trudged on for another half, The Horned Frogs never gave up, fought like hell, and gave it their all. Slowly but surely, they clawed their way back, and slowly but surely, I and every TCU fan in the stadium got crazier and crazier. Louder and louder. With seconds left on the clock, they tied it: 31-31. 

Into overtime it went. All the momentum still with TCU, Oregon pulled it together and both teams traded blows the first two sets of OT: touchdowns and then field goals. In third OT, Kohlhausen took the bull by the horns and ran it in himself for a touchdown. They missed the now-must-go-for-it two-point conversion, giving Oregon the chance to finish it. But it didn't matter. On Oregon's fourth down, The Horned Frogs blocked their last ditch attempted pass. The game was over. To the amazement of everyone, TCU were champions. The backup quarterback had done it, had somehow led the team to victory.

(Credit: Getty Images / Ronald Martinez)

Kohlhausen with his Offensive Player Of The Game trophy. (Credit: Getty Images / Ronald Martinez)

Pandemonium ensued in the Horned Frog section of the stadium. Joy, amazement, astonishment, relief, inspiration...countless emotions were felt by the fans and the team. Tons of individual stories were happening on and off the field. Boykin, who must have been feeling all sorts of awful feelings, showed nothing but love and support for his teammates, especially Kohlhausen, who he immediately hailed as MVP. Kohlhausen shared tears with his mother. Patterson, ever the serious and conservative button-up, danced like a young urban clubber for his team. Many wonderful stories were going on at that moment, but all I can really tell you about is my own.

I felt the most amazing inspiration I've probably ever felt in my whole life. I've had some dark days the past few years. The days where I found it hard to keep going, because I didn't have faith that my life would get better. The days where I feared my life would continue on in hellish limbo, continuously being shit on. The days where my heart, though of course happy for my friends and family, would harden further with bitter envy while I watched their lives enriched with love and careers, and mine remained barren. The days where I stopped fighting and felt like giving up. I've had too many of those kinds of days.

(Credit: Getty Images / Ronald Martinez)

But when TCU achieved one of the greatest comebacks of all time against extraordinary odds, they showed me better. They reminded me to never give up. Hold your head up high, keep fighting and giving it all you've got, and amazing things can happen. It moved me to tears. I've seen many uplifting movies or tv shows, read inspirational books, and listened to the moving stories of others, but nothing comes close to the inspiration I felt that night. Nothing tops seeing real live people accomplish something amazing in real life.

TCU gave me hope. TCU gave me faith and belief. TCU gave me wonder and joy. TCU gave me the motivation to keep on fighting the good fight. So forget about all the ugly and bad stories about sports; it's stories like mine, Boykin's, Kohlhausen's, Patterson's, the rest of the players', and countless others that clearly show it. Sports do matter.

Never give up. Never surrender. Keep on fighting. 

Riff, Ram, Bah Zoo. Lickety, Lickety, Zoo Zoo. Who Wah, Wah Who. Give life hell, all of you!

Fear The Frog.