There’s a wonderful scene in Clint Eastwood’s underappreciated A Perfect World where Butch, the escaped convict, introduces Philip, the boy he’s kidnapped, to ideas of relativity and time travel. He explains that their car is a 20th Century Time Machine…behind them the past…in front of them the future…step on the gas to speed towards the future…apply pressure on the brake to slow it down…and apply the break to stop…that’s the present, which is inevitably, fleeting.
Here in this year’s SBBPA, we’re all Philip sitting in that stationary car, in our present, contemplating how we got to this moment in time and how our futures might unfold. How Zack has managed to lead wire-to-wire with multiple impressive streaks and an impressive 33 correct picks. How the hell did he do that? How, Leo and Marc (perennial mid-levelers) have been battling for a close second, switching positions multiple times and, yet, arriving at this moment tied for second with 29. How Danyelle and Wendy have been forever locked in a battle for third with 27. And how Daisy and Alex have continued to shadow the leaders in 4th or 5th place…wondering what might have been.
This is OUR present…
This is OUR future…
For many of us, the SBBPA future is bleak. The QF game results were not kind as most of the favored teams were demolished. Though, it must be said that the officiating crew in the UGA-Ol’ Miss game tried valiantly to give UGA multiple opportunities to win the game. Alas, to no avail as Ol’ Miss survived multiple attempts by the refs to extend the game, and UGA’s last futile drive, and eliminated one of the favorites from contention. And Miami (MIAMI!) defeated the Ohio State Buckeyes and denied EVERY one of us points for that game: a first for the SBBPA. DOH!
Alabama, Ohio State, and Georgia have all been eliminated. YIKES!!!
So, sports fans, we’ll have to wait until the Semifinal Games on the 8th and 9th to get a clearer picture of where this thing is headed. Already, though, I can hear the desperately whispered “Wait ’till next year, dadgummit!” from those of us who still harbor expectations, unrealistic as they may be, of someday winning this damned thing! But, as Butch so perfectly taught Terry Pugh, there’s a difference between a threat and a fact!
See you next all next week!