The hits just keep on coming. I awoke on this first day of the new year to the news that Dan Reeves died early this morning. This in the same week in which we have lost John Madden and Betty White and Sam Jones. (I would NEVER forget about Sam Jones.)
This loss is particularly personally painful for me. I fell hopelessly in love with the Dallas Cowboys in 1965, when I was eleven. The Cowboys sizzled. The unis. The star. The multiple offense. The up-down move by the O-line. Doomsday. The promise. The potential. It was electrifying sensory overload for this sixth-grader.
I loved them. I loved every single thing about them. And I was innocent, and in no way self-conscious about my love. Boys sometimes made fun of me. Girls ALWAYS made fun of me. I didn’t care. I loved my Cowboys more than I cared about them.
Nobody reflected Cowboy Cool more than Dan Reeves. And he could do anything and everything. Remember the halfback option touchdown pass he threw to Lance Rentzel in the Ice Bowl while rolling to his left? Yeah. Anybody and everybody could have done that. Reeves was this captivating combination of hip, cool and good-looking along with Southern drawling Boy Scout. Dan Reeves never once embarrassed himself, or his team. The moment—whatever the moment—was never too big for Dan Reeves.
That remained the case throughout his remarkable pro football career that included roles as player-coach (really), assistant coach, head coach, administrator and broadcaster. “Never let ‘em see you sweat.” And nobody ever did.
So a last remnant of my youthful innocence died with Dan Reeves this morning. I will miss it. And I will miss him.
That must have been a wonderful conversation this morning between Coach Reeves and his mentor, Coach Landry.
This one hurts like hell.
So…it’s ‘Bama vs. Georgia. I’m shocked! (lol) I’m not disappointed at all. I’m excited. This is exactly the (re)-match I wanted to see.
I respect Cincinnati. Really good team. The goods. Legit. Absolutely belonged in the CFP. And the Bearcats were never really competitive in that game. And you want to go to a 16-team playoff? Insanity. Those 16 Candles would not look Pretty in Pink. The Donger need FOOD!
I’m really more fired up about today than I was about yesterday.
Penn State-Arkansas. Iowa-Kentucky. Ohio State-Utah (THE ROSE BOWL! DO YOU HEAR ME? THE ROSE BOWL!). Oklahoma State-Notre Dame. Baylah (THEY NASTY!)-Ole Miss.
God bless the Great Game.
Don’t forget your black-eyed peas.
