The Life of the Other Team’s Party
As somebody who likes to have as much fun as the next wide-open party animal, far be it from me to berate anybody for having a good time.
But there are times when it just seems a bit much to be having too much fun. One such time, in my mind, was last Saturday during Wake’s 62-14 thumping by Maryland. On more than one occasion, a Deacon player would make a big play and then jump around like a contestant on the Price Is Right. And that was when the tide was somewhere around 30 points and rising.
I asked Coach Grobe at this week’s gathering to eat chicken and talk football if such displays bothered him as well. His response? Not necessarily.
“I like for our kids to make big plays and I want them to be enthusiastic,’’ Grobe said. “Now if they’re unsportsmanlike and they get a flag, then they’ve got major issues.
“I want our kids to have fun. I want them to play and if they make a big play I want them to be excited about it. Sometimes if they make an average play and get too excited about it it gets a little comical. But you want your kids to be excited if they make a big play and are doing good. I have no problem with that.’‘
At least, I mentioned, he never had to be concerned about any such over-the-top celebrations by Alphonso Smith. I was kidding and Grobe, by his belly laugh, knew it. The difference, of course, is that Smith rarely found himself on the wrong side of the kind of routs the Deacons are experiencing this season.
“The biggest thing that’s influenced our kids is the National Football League,’’ Grobe said. “They see all that crazy stuff going on, so they try to imitate that. It’s all about the show.’‘