The Marks Post: Football at its best and worst

With all respect to Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, but football is an example of the best of times and the worst of times. We saw a little bit of both this week during the final bowl games of the year and Monday Night Football.
First, here are some of the good times.
LSU put up 63 points on an undermanned Purdue Boilermaker team in the Cheez-it Citrus Bowl. The Tigers, though, were forced to punt on their opening possession but put on an offensive clinic after that for the team’s 10th win of the season. The game was a glimpse of what LSU can do next season. There is a lot to look forward to with this team.
My favorite part of the game was Brian Kelly channeling his inner Les Miles. After the game, Kelly got showered with, what else, Cheez-its. He picked one off of the turf and ate it. I immediately thought of Miles picking up a blade of grass and eating it after his team defeated Alabama 24-21 at home in 2010.
After the LSU game ended Monday, I turned the TV on the Tulane game against USC in the Cotton Bowl. The Green Wave, a two-win team last season, came from behind to defeat a Trojans’ team that was one win away from playing in the College Football Playoffs. USC, though, lost in the PAC-12 Championship Game to the Utah (“What is a Ute? Oh excuse me, your honor, two”) Utes.
Meanwhile, at the new “Big Sombrero” in Tampa, Fla., the Mississippi State Bulldogs, whose head coach, Mike Leach, passed away on December 12, pulled off an unlikely 19-10 win against the Fighting Illini of Illinois on a series of laterals with no time on the clock. Somebody on TV made the comment that day how fitting was it that a team with a coach whose nickname is “The Pirate” won its bowl game in a stadium with a pirate ship in it.
While that was some of the good from Monday, here is the bad. During the first quarter of the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo’s Damar Hamlin collapsed to the field after making a tackle. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was then performed on the field, and it was determined Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest. The game was postponed, and he was transported to a local hospital where he was treated and listed in critical condition.
Even in the bad times of the sport we love, we see the good in people show through. Social media was flooded with thoughts and prayers for Hamlin. Also, Hamlin had previously set up an online fundraiser for a community toy drive with a goal of $2,500. Following his onfield collapse, $300,000 was raised.
During this new year, let us focus on the good in the world and be hopeful of what is to come instead of dwelling on the all the bad. As for me, I’m hopeful for this Chicago Cubs’ season with Dansby Swanson and Cody Bellinger.