My voice is raw from the screaming. When you’re at Autzen among 59,000 of your closest Duck friends, you don’t worry about your voice or even your hearing. Who cares about such trivia when your team, down 38-14 late in the third, is now on its way to a fourth quarter comeback and with it, dare I even think it, a glimmering hope of a repeat trip to the National Championship.
As the Ducks finally lived up to their sleek Ninja black uniforms in the fourth, turning it on, closing it to three points with less than minute to go, and driving for the game winning touchdown, the thought crossed my mind that there’s a familiar life lesson here too. You know the one – about not giving up, showing heart, digging in deep and going for it, even when everything seems to be going against you. Maybe you’ve been feeling that way. Like it’s the fourth quarter and things are stacked against you. So you keep pushing hard, fighting the fight, but victory feels just out of reach.
With five seconds left and a straight shot field goal attempt to send it into OT, everyone around me could feel it – the Ducks WOULD pull this one off. It just felt like it was meant to be. And then - the kick – it’s wide left.
Photo Courtesy of : Daniel Bachhuber
The loud, screaming stadium stood in stunned silence. (Well, except for the celebrating Trojans – but hey, this is my blog, so I’m leaving them out of it!) Just like that, it was over. And yes, it’s just a game. But life is like that too. Sometimes you meet challenge after challenge and then, under pressure, you nail that kick – you get the listing, make the deal, fix that relationship, overcome an illness. But what happens when you hook it left? Did you fail? Should you beat yourself up over it? How do you respond?
On the long drive home, my son’s two 13 year old friends kept sincerely thanking us for taking them. Both said “Wow, that was the best game I’ve ever seen!” To them, it wasn’t about the final score – it was about the fight. And it was a good one. As they laughed and re-lived the adrenaline pumping plays, I read a “Duck fan” tweet that said “I just wasted four hours standing out in the cold. What for?” Sadly, that person doesn’t get it.
If a victory came guaranteed with each ticket, there would be 
no reason to go.
The next time you come up short, and hook it left, remember that life was never about the final score. It’s all about the game, giving it your best despite the outcome, and treasuring the moments – your touchdowns and even your fumbles – along the way.
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