Twas the day before New Year’s Eve
And all through the Dawg House
Every Dawg was joyous
At being let out.
Though it wasn’t the season
We’d had before
It was still a sight better
Than many of yore
There were wins and there were losses
More of the former than the latter
Which led us to the Belk Bowl:
The final rung on our season’s ladder
The weather was inclement
Cam’s field was a muddy mess
The never ending rain
Put our Dawgs to the test.
Fans had traveled from near and far
Cowbells in most every hand
They braved the driving rain
To watch Dak’s final stand
For some reason I got my bowl game dates mixed up and had us playing on New Year’s Eve instead of the 30th. I had planned to close the office starting on Thursday but it became pretty clear that there would be very little work done once the game began so we closed up shop at noon and called it a week. Extending the last holiday of 2015 seemed like a good way to honor our team and celebrate the season.
I would normally be found in front of my fireplace with the dogs watching the game but for some reason this year it just felt right to be with a larger group to see the final game of Dak’s pretty special college career. Old Venice on Main Street was the choice for pizza and plenty of big screen viewing.
There wasn’t a large crowd to start with but as the minutes and quarters ticked away, the bar side got crowded and the crowd got into it. The first half of the game set the mood and from then on it became a fist bumping and high fiveing kind of afternoon.
We were noisy and jubilant; we were boisterous and obnoxious; we were grateful and relieved. We were also proud of our team and our representation by a good bunch of kids who probably don’t fully understand the impact their last two winning seasons have had on Starkvegas. But what I was most struck by was the prolonged ovation that Dak got from the bar crowd when he came off the field for the final time. It wasn’t like he could hear us from Charlotte but we all seemed to feel it as his due.
Since last season’s five-week long national No. 1 rankings there has been an indisputable and palpable sense of excitement and success in our town. I have called it the “Dak effect.”
There is no doubt that success came along with Coach Mullen and football is certainly a team sport, but when you have a standout player who commands the national spotlight then the stories tend to spin themselves. There is nothing like a good story to stir the spirit and raise hope and expectations. Hope brings people and builds cities.
It has been a fun ride and even though we didn’t bring the Egg Bowl Trophy back home. We had no embarrassing incidents of player misconduct that kept our guys from being able to compete. Dignity isn’t exclusive to the doctor and lawyer crowd, it is also evident in our not-so-high-toned Ag heritage and how we handle challenges and successes. This team had dignity aplenty and we are proud to have enjoyed the spoils of their success.
Next year will be different without Dak, not necessarily better or worse, just different. What we can hope is that his character has left a lasting impact on those who follow him and that we will continue to see the kind of players who make us proud in their conduct on and off the field.
We share great hope and expectations for Dak’s future. His success will give us a lingering sense of how special it was for us to have been part of his life’s journey. He said his thank you to this community in a recently published open letter and we too should be saying thank you to him for the opportunity to be the best we could be while he was with us.
The game was everything we hoped
As the score grew and grew
Dak made his final play
And then we were through.
Though records are made
And records will be broken,
Dak’s contribution
Was far more than a token.
Thank you and best wishes in your career.
Lynn Spruill, a former commercial airline pilot, elected official and city administrator owns and manages Spruill Property Management in Starkville. Her email address is [email protected].
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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