Badger_colorado

This blog was inspired by the recent California decision to legalize gay marriage. There are lots of reasons that a person might not like California, but this is something that I consider wonderful and a step towards the day when all people truly are equal.

Let me first say that I am not gay. However, I do have close friends (and at least one relative) who are. In fact, one of my best friends happens to be gay and I still remember clearly the day he told me and how afraid he was that I'd stop being his friend. I would even say that I was homophobic until that day. But, when someone you care about tells you they're gay, and if you have any sense of decency your opinion will change. Unless you are blinded by a condition of moral superiority and intolerance, it won't matter to you that the person who has been your friend or son or cousin is gay.

I wrote this a while back to address people who are vehemently anti-gay. I doubt it'll change their minds, but gay folks kill themselves frequently exactly because of the reason I illustrate below. I also KNEW someone who's mother told him "I wish you would have told me you have terminal cancer rather than telling me you're gay" along with several others who were disowned by their "Christian" families (that's really Christian...proclaiming yourself God and giving yourself the right to judge). It's crazy to me.

Pathway to destruction.

What do you think could happen if you make the decision that being gay is a "choice" rather than a natural variation in the human condition? What happens if you decide that, rather than being part of God's plan, something humans cannot possibly know, that being gay is in fact a reprehensible sin perpetrated by people who have chosen a path of evil rather than a path to the Almighty?

Lets say you have a son, and you tell your son from a very early age that being h0m0sexual is bad. When your hypothetical son is young, it won't be a problem because people don't think about others in a sexual way until later

However, around the age of 12, your hyposon will start to have feelings towards boys he doesn't understand. This will be deeply confusing to hyposon. On one hand, the boys call each other "f@gs" and "h0m0" as insults and mom and dad says that gays are bad, but on the other hand hyposon thinks boys are kinda cute. This doesn't add up, but he goes and kicks Susie in the chin anyway because that's what the other boys do at that age to prove they like girls.

At the age of 13 or 14, when the other boys are talking about what they'd like to do to the girls, hyposon will be thinking "gosh, I'd like to do those things with the other boys". Alas, hyposon will continue to talk to the boys about how he wants a "BJ" from Susie, even though he doesn't know what a "BJ" is and doesn't have any real desire to be anywhere near Susie because he's not attracted to girls. He begins to wonder what a "BJ" might be like from Chuckie, though

Well, hyposon will continue with his charade about how he likes girls, and will even take a few to dances and other social events, making his father very proud. He'll talk to dad about how those h0m0s are messing up society and that it's absurd that they should want the things that "normal" folks want. All the while, the internal conflict will grow. Hyposon will wonder "what's wrong with me? It's obvious that being gay is morally reprehensible...dad's been telling me that my whole life...but I really think I like boys."

Since hypoboy will continue to think that there's something wrong with him, mainly because he looks up to pops and therefore doesn't consider that perhaps pops is wrong, he will continue to struggle with his "problem" but not tell anyone because he's so embarrassed. And it will eat him alive. Hypoboy will become very, very depressed, and realize that no matter what he tries, he can't make his feelings for boys go away.

And eventually, hypoboy will realize that there's only one way to make his torment stop. Hypoboy goes into pops gun cabinet, and blankly stares at the double barrel shotgun that dad taught him how to shoot when he was 12. He finds the cartridges and loads the shotgun. And after contemplating his choice for over an hour, he props the gun against the back of his throat, places the yardstick against the trigger, and with a tear running down his cheek...

Well, the Badgers just played in the Sweet 16.  I posted in a thread that I was hoping that I walked into an alternate universe and that the Badgers did not actually get handled by Davidson.  Turns out, I didn't wander through a worm hole as I had hoped.  The Badgers did get handled by Davidson. 

It's a strange feeling I have right now.  I don't feel quite as disappointed as you'd think.  After all, the Badgers were so thoroughly outplayed that there's not a few plays you can point to where you think "if only that call would have gone their way" or "if only that one shot would have fallen."  The game was so one sided in the second half that there's nothing that would have tilted the game in the Badgers favor.

As for this Badgers team?  I'm as proud of them as any other Badgers team I've ever cheered for.  And the reason goes beyond the fact that they played above all expectations this year.  What?  They did?  But, didn't they get owned by a mid-major in the Sweet 16?  Yup.  But remember, this team was not picked to do much this year.  They were picked, at best, to finish 3rd in the Big 10.  What did they do?  They won a school record 31 games, swept the Big 10 titles, and made it to the Sweet 16.  Not bad.

But, it's not just the play of the team that makes me proud.  It's the character of it's players.  Many have probably heard story about Michael Flowers and a kid who had leukemia.  If you haven't, click on this youtube replay of the story.  It'll choke you up...guaranteed.  Flowers showed that, not only is he one of the best defenders in Wisconsin history, but he's also a great guy. 

It's Marcus Landry overcoming a learning disability, juggling time commitments of a family, school, and basketball, yet still making fatherhood a priority.  It's Greg Stiemsma overcoming depression and high expectations and playing an important roll on the team without a single complaint about not getting more playing time.  And it's the unity and dedication to unselfish basketball that the whole team shows, from top to bottom. 

It's also the coach.  It's the way he gives a scholarship to a guy because he works hard, even if it's just running the scout team.  It's the way he chooses to be a teacher first and foremost and the way he chooses players based on who they are as people as well as how good they are at playing the game.  It's the dedication to doing things the right way and putting mentoring above all else.

No, this team may not have made it to the Final Four.  But I'm as proud of having this Badgers team represent my alma mater as I ever have been of any other team.  After all, when it comes down to it, basketball is just a game.  What a university means to a person is so much more than the basketball team.  But it sure is nice that this basketball team represents everything that makes me proud to be a Badger.

Breaking News: The Green Bay Packers have traded their 1st round draft choice to the Atlanta Falcons for an unheralded backup QB who was chosen in the 2nd round last year. What? Why would they do that? Who the heck is Brett Farve (sp?)? Why would the Packers trade a FIRST round selection for someone who was a 2nd round pick only a year ago? It makes no sense.

Well, looking back on that trade, I'd say they made out pretty good. In fact, Ron Wolf did o.k. in the first round after that, but never had another high impact, multiple pro-bowl type player one expects of such a high pick. Perhaps the football Gods said that, given the fact that he was able to secure one of the greatest football players, and possibly the most beloved Packers player of all time, that he would never be able to secure another fabulous player in the 1st round again. I think that when you stack up all of his 1st round choices, despite the fact that none of the others were great, getting Brett Favre was enough to consider his overall 1st round decisions nothing short of spectacular.

The memories that Brett Favre has supplied to Packers fans for the last 16 years are too many to list. A huge comeback against the Bengals in relief of Majik man, who at the time was a beloved Packer, was only a prelude to what would eventually be arguably the greatest career in NFL history. He looked wild, his passes were all 100 mph even if the receiver was 3 yards away, you didn't know what he was going to do next. Yet, he found a way to lead the Packers to victory on the way to a 9-7 season that was beyond expectations at the time. The Packers didn't make the playoffs, but optimism grew 100-fold during that season.

The Packers continued to rise up the NFL ranks and Favre continued to pile up amazing memories along the way. Against the Eagles, he got hit so hard by Reggie White that he was spitting up blood. Did he come out? Heck no! We didn't know it at the time, but the Packers QB was the toughest man to ever play the game. A little blood? Who cares? Reggie White pointed to that moment as a major factor in why he came to the Packers...the greatest free agent signing in NFL history and a major factor why they would eventually bring the title back to Titletown.

1996 was the year everything came together. The Packers were the best team in the NFL, and despite a midseason slump due to some pretty serious injuries, they rolled through the playoffs in dominating fashion. The championship game wasn't an opportunity for revenge against the hated Cowboys, but the Packers beat a surprising Carolina team to bring their first NFC championship to Green Bay in approximately 30 years. Glory was back. Brett Favre won league MVP and was simply amazing to watch. The season culminated in a Super Bowl championship in which Favre threw two long TD passes, and the most lasting impression of the Packers QB was forever captured...Favre running down the field with his helmet raised over his head, acting like a kid who just tossed a TD in the sandpit down the street.

Favre's childlike love of the game would last his entire career. Slapping refs on the butt, throwing snowballs at teammates, Favre looking for someone to hug, and the patented Favre running down to congratulate a teammate after a 70 yard TD pass and catch. Yes, Favre was great. He's an all-time record holder in every major passing category. But, the way he played the game is what will forever endure. Knowing that, on Sunday, #4 would be behind center for 16 years despite horribly twisted ankles, knees, personal tragedy, or anything else that was thrown at him. He was a rock for the Pack. He always played with child-like glee and despite throwing the occasional head-scratching interception, there's nobody who I'd rather see tossing passes for the Green and Gold because his happiness was contagious. He made the game more fun to watch. He wasn't another pampered athlete, he was your next door neighbor drawing up plays in the dirt and playing because it's just so darned fun.

He became the face of the Packers and, in reality, the face of the NFL. Because he played the game for the enjoyment of being out there with his team. Because he continued to portray the every man persona. Because in him, through exposure of his personal life and all the frailties that we all endure, we all saw a bit of ourselves. He was open and honest, even through a personal battle with painkillers, his wife's battle with cancer, the death of his father and several people close to him, and in him we saw that, despite being a famous QB, he still had to go through the same types of things we all have to endure and he did so with a dignity that we could all admire. He's a guy you could have lunch with and you'd never know he was a famous athlete. He did things off the field that define more about who he is than anything he accomplished on it. For more about that, go to the SI Sportsman of the Year article about him. If it doesn't choke you up, then there's something wrong.

Now, Favre will no longer be taking snaps for the Green and Gold. And most Packers fans are going to be coming to terms with that for a long time. I'm still in shock. However, while I'm sad that Brett Favre is no longer the QB of the Green Bay Packers, and while I can't really contemplate the meaning of that fact, I'm proud that Favre was the man in Green Bay for all these years. I thank him for all the joy he brought to me as a fan. And I wish him the best of luck in the future, whatever his future may hold. He now rides off into the sunset on his lawn mower, but he will always be Legend in Green Bay. Thank you Brett Favre.