Seattlehog - Absurd Heroes - What I Know

[vector4dz]

ABSURD HEROES - What I Know - Week 5 2014


"Where would his torture be, indeed, if at every step the hope of succeeding upheld him."

- Albert Camus discussing Sisyphus


There is something pitiful about grown men sitting around a TV , bumbling through a series of awkward and uncoordinated high-fives over and over, talking trash and raising expectations.

It gets even more pitiful when the same adults sit in stunned silence, smears of cheese dip on their shirts, their kids looking up from their iPhones trying to figure out what is going on.

If there is a more "Arkansas" way to lose a big game I'm not sure what it is. If  you wanna lose a game the "Arkansas Way" you have to do 6 things:

1) Come in as a big underdog - with everything to gain and nothing to lose.

2) Make the case early and often that not only are the Hogs going to be competitive but they actually might DOMINATE and threaten to blow the opponent out.

3) Enter a period early in the 4th quarter where the team and the fans begin to sense doom - where everything becomes about running clock. During this period there will be several opportunities to finish things and these opportunities will take on a shape and life of their own.  And they will squirm away - like pasta from a spoon.

4) Just when the Hogs have finally blown it another brief hope will emerge and we will start to believe again.

5) It will end badly.

6) After going into a game with NOTHING to lose and playing way above expectations it will seem like somehow, impossibly - we have lost EVERYTHING.

From the "Game of the Century" in '69 to Miami and Steve Atwater dropping an interception to Clint Stoerner's stumble fumble to the D-Mac and Felix team giving up a kickoff return to LSU to yesterday. There is a line. There is a connection. There is, at least in our brains, a pattern.

I could probably add a few more things to our list of requirements. Most of those things would include a painfully rudimentary passing game when it was most needed.

There is a big difference between those examples and yesterday. Those other games had at least theoretical national championship possibilities attached. This one involved a team looking for its first conference win in 2 years.

Amidst all the screaming and cussing and gnashing of teeth ( A lot of that by ME. Ellis was experimenting with new combinations of swear words last night. It was a good time.) something gets lost. THIS IS WHAT WE SIGNED UP FOR!

This is OUR THING. We aren't Alabama fans who expect a win every game and cry foul when they don't win the whole thing. We aren't Auburn or LSU with distorted and disturbed ideas about our own status and importance in the overall history of the game.

We are Arkansas. We are pretty good and occasionally very good.  We keep rolling the stone up the mountain only to get smacked down in the most heartbreaking way possible. Then we get up and start pushing it up again - believing that THIS TIME it will be different.

We are Sisyphus. And although Sisyphus was being punished for hubris and ego I like to look at him another way. Camus painted Sisyphus as a sort of ABSURD HERO. A man who trudged on, always buoyed and tortured by HOPE. And that is how I see the Hogs and Hog Nation. We are Absurd Heroes.

And there is something noble in that. Something joyful in our naivete. Nothing is guaranteed to us except HOPE. And this will make it all the sweeter when it finally comes together.

On to What I Know - Week 5

I know playing with 2 centers is risky - almost as risky as playing with 2 QBs.

I know the rollout pass to the flat 3 yards short of the 1st down gives me hives.

I know during the game Ellis used a combination of whining, griping, sulking and pitiful facial expressions to talk one of my friends into going swimming in a 65 degree pool.

I know my friend threatened legal action if I put a photo of his shirtless self on the Internet.



I know Will - Da - Beast's  near touchdown that was called back was an epic effort.  It would have gone down in Hog lore.

I know that run caused much poorly executed high-fiving in our crew followed by much standing around muttering and lighting of cigarettes.

I know that Ellis was playing with a flashlight during the game. It stopped working and she told me we needed new batteries. I told her to open it up and see what kind we needed. She looked at me like I was the most painfully brain dead moron she had yet to encounter in her long life. A look similar to one my father has given me for years when anything "handy" needed to be done. "TRIPLE As!" She yelled.

I know I need to put a stop to her hanging out and doing projects with my dad.

I know that one member of our group had his man crush on Dan Skipper come to an end.

I know it's a bit ridiculous to get mad at a kid who we all praise and revere for  his aggression and borderline insanity. Some penalties are going to come with that package. They just came at REALLY bad times.

I know that Rotel mixed with ground sausage is a surprisingly satisfying treat. Practically a meal in itself.

I know this was the first time in the Bielema era that everything was coming together - the run, run, run, play action stuff - the fake punts. It was ALL working.

I know after the fake punt worked Bielema thought we had them. I know I did to.

I know when I looked at the schedule ahead it seems suddenly less intimidating.


I know as we were leaving the watch party yesterday one of my friends said to Ellis "See ya later man".

I know Ellis turned and said " I'm not a man - I'm a gurwl". Then she paused and thought for a second.  Fists curled at her sides, serious look on her face she said, "No - I'm a WOMAN!" and stomped away.

A woman and a future Sisyphian Hog Fan. My absurd little hero.

Until Next Time

PS - If you want an Ellis story about the death of a goldfish look here http://ellisainsleykradel.com/

Seattle
Twitter: @seattlehog
http://seattlehog.org/

[Dr. Starcs]

Good article.

I know the Chicago Cubs fans feel and believe the same way.

[pigbacon]

Rollout pass to the flat three yards short of the first down gives me hives too.

Good read- serious enough with enough lightheartedness to not make me want to jump off the balcony.

[hoghearted]

Really enjoy your post game thoughts. Keep 'em coming

[bphi11ips]

Absolutely best Hogville material since Bacon Bits. 


Hey . . .

[Sir Oinksalot]

Hahaha...

[Sweet Pea]

Great stuff!

[BDSCT51]

Excellent summation of the day yesterday! Isn't it wonderful that Hogville has such a brilliant counter to that Shields guy......................

[Danimal]

Best thing I've read all day.

[gmarv]

I might enjoy this well thought out article tomorrow right now I,m still rolling  around the what ifs in my head.

[HogFanatic]

Nice article, man. Well written as usual.

[hogs24]

Really enjoy your post game thoughts. Keep 'em coming

this.

[LRAFBHog]

ABSURD HEROES - What I Know - Week 5 2014


"Where would his torture be, indeed, if at every step the hope of succeeding upheld him."

- Albert Camus discussing Sisyphus


There is something pitiful about grown men sitting around a TV , bumbling through a series of awkward and uncoordinated high-fives over and over, talking trash and raising expectations.

It gets even more pitiful when the same adults sit in stunned silence, smears of cheese dip on their shirts, their kids looking up from their iPhones trying to figure out what is going on.

If there is a more "Arkansas" way to lose a big game I'm not sure what it is. If  you wanna lose a game the "Arkansas Way" you have to do 6 things:

1) Come in as a big underdog - with everything to gain and nothing to lose.

2) Make the case early and often that not only are the Hogs going to be competitive but they actually might DOMINATE and threaten to blow the opponent out.

3) Enter a period early in the 4th quarter where the team and the fans begin to sense doom - where everything becomes about running clock. During this period there will be several opportunities to finish things and these opportunities will take on a shape and life of their own.  And they will squirm away - like pasta from a spoon.

4) Just when the Hogs have finally blown it another brief hope will emerge and we will start to believe again.

5) It will end badly.

6) After going into a game with NOTHING to lose and playing way above expectations it will seem like somehow, impossibly - we have lost EVERYTHING.

From the "Game of the Century" in '69 to Miami and Steve Atwater dropping an interception to Clint Stoerner's stumble fumble to the D-Mac and Felix team giving up a kickoff return to LSU to yesterday. There is a line. There is a connection. There is, at least in our brains, a pattern.

I could probably add a few more things to our list of requirements. Most of those things would include a painfully rudimentary passing game when it was most needed.

There is a big difference between those examples and yesterday. Those other games had at least theoretical national championship possibilities attached. This one involved a team looking for its first conference win in 2 years.

Amidst all the screaming and cussing and gnashing of teeth ( A lot of that by ME. Ellis was experimenting with new combinations of swear words last night. It was a good time.) something gets lost. THIS IS WHAT WE SIGNED UP FOR!

This is OUR THING. We aren't Alabama fans who expect a win every game and cry foul when they don't win the whole thing. We aren't Auburn or LSU with distorted and disturbed ideas about our own status and importance in the overall history of the game.

We are Arkansas. We are pretty good and occasionally very good.  We keep rolling the stone up the mountain only to get smacked down in the most heartbreaking way possible. Then we get up and start pushing it up again - believing that THIS TIME it will be different.

We are Sisyphus. And although Sisyphus was being punished for hubris and ego I like to look at him another way. Camus painted Sisyphus as a sort of ABSURD HERO. A man who trudged on, always buoyed and tortured by HOPE. And that is how I see the Hogs and Hog Nation. We are Absurd Heroes.

And there is something noble in that. Something joyful in our naivete. Nothing is guaranteed to us except HOPE. And this will make it all the sweeter when it finally comes together.

On to What I Know - Week 5

I know playing with 2 centers is risky - almost as risky as playing with 2 QBs.

I know the rollout pass to the flat 3 yards short of the 1st down gives me hives.

I know during the game Ellis used a combination of whining, griping, sulking and pitiful facial expressions to talk one of my friends into going swimming in a 65 degree pool.

I know my friend threatened legal action if I put a photo of his shirtless self on the Internet.



I know Will - Da - Beast's  near touchdown that was called back was an epic effort.  It would have gone down in Hog lore.

I know that run caused much poorly executed high-fiving in our crew followed by much standing around muttering and lighting of cigarettes.

I know that Ellis was playing with a flashlight during the game. It stopped working and she told me we needed new batteries. I told her to open it up and see what kind we needed. She looked at me like I was the most painfully brain dead moron she had yet to encounter in her long life. A look similar to one my father has given me for years when anything "handy" needed to be done. "TRIPLE As!" She yelled.

I know I need to put a stop to her hanging out and doing projects with my dad.

I know that one member of our group had his man crush on Dan Skipper come to an end.

I know it's a bit ridiculous to get mad at a kid who we all praise and revere for  his aggression and borderline insanity. Some penalties are going to come with that package. They just came at REALLY bad times.

I know that Rotel mixed with ground sausage is a surprisingly satisfying treat. Practically a meal in itself.

I know this was the first time in the Bielema era that everything was coming together - the run, run, run, play action stuff - the fake punts. It was ALL working.

I know after the fake punt worked Bielema thought we had them. I know I did to.

I know when I looked at the schedule ahead it seems suddenly less intimidating.


I know as we were leaving the watch party yesterday one of my friends said to Ellis "See ya later man".

I know Ellis turned and said " I'm not a man - I'm a gurwl". Then she paused and thought for a second.  Fists curled at her sides, serious look on her face she said, "No - I'm a WOMAN!" and stomped away.

A woman and a future Sisyphian Hog Fan. My absurd little hero.

Until Next Time

PS - If you want an Ellis story about the death of a goldfish look here http://ellisainsleykradel.com/



Seattle
Twitter: @seattlehog
http://seattlehog.org/

Who is your publisher?  Rediculous

[vector4dz]

Sadly the publishers of the world view me as a rather "niche" product

[Wild Boarnado]

Another great article SeattleHog!  I look forward each week to hearing what you've got to say - thought-provoking and humorous.  I have also thoroughly enjoyed reading through your blog.  Great stuff! Thanks.

[razordawg]

That was a great article!

[SemperFi]

As always Seattlehog, really good stuff. Shared a few of your thoughts with my wife and even she smiled.

[Hogfly]

If there's any justice in the world, you'll get paid for your writing at some point. Excellent stuff.

[GolfnHog]

"I know that Rotel mixed with ground sausage is a surprisingly satisfying treat. Practically a meal in itself."

Have thoroughly enjoyed viewing the world through your thoughts. The aforementioned thought told me everything I need to know about you...... YOU are from the south, displaced in the NW but will always be a "ByGod Hog".

[Grunt]

Good read. Hope is enough.