 TOLEDOROCKETS.NETYour source for information on Rocket Football! |
TOLEDOROCKETS.NETYour source for information on Rocket Football! |
|
By Mike Sopher Last year while I was teaching down in West Virginia, I would give students extra credit if they chose the right winner in a Toledo football game. I did this for all six nationally televised games played by the Rockets. Not only did this increase awareness about the University of Toledo to middle school aged children in West Virginia, but it also offered them exposure to my beloved Rockets. Generally, my students enjoyed this side project because few teachers gave extra points for a football game. But I was probably not "most" teachers in more ways than one. This brings me to last week. I got an e-mail from a former student who had watched Toledo’s performance against Fresno State on September 27th. "Jake" wrote the following: Dear Mr. Sopher, I saw Toledo’s performance a few Tuesdays ago on ESPN2 and it was a terrible show. Wuz up w/ that? I thought Toledo was supposed to be good this year? Why do they lose to sucky teams? Oh well, at least I have my Terps to root for. But really I wanted to ask you a question. Why do you root for a MAC skool that can’t beat the big teams? Explain that one. Your fav student, "Jake" p.s. Why is your coach so fat? My response to him was as follows: Dear "Jake," First off, thanks for the email and its good to hear from you. Before I answer your questions, I hope you can send me back another email telling me how school is going and what you have been up to. Now, to answer your question as to why I still root for Toledo, here is my response: I love the University of Toledo even though I no longer go to school there. I spent six years of my life there as a student. When you go to school at one place for that length of time, you will understand where I am coming from. I love the football program because we consistently win. I know we lose some big out of conference games, but our program is still one of the best in the nation in regards to winning percentage over the past few years. Plus we have won two conference titles in the past four years to go along with three bowl games. I love our stadium. I have seen some great college games in the Glass Bowl (where Toledo plays) where the game has gone down to the last play. The energy in that stadium could only be felt if you were there. It was a great atmosphere. I love our head coach even if he is a big guy. This guy loves the university and has given his heart and soul to this football team. He understands the word "loyalty" unlike other Division I coaches out there. I love our players. We have a group of guys who play hard every week and want to compete for a conference title and a bowl game. Some of these guys can play on Sunday and I know they will. I love our fans. Thanks to the Internet, over the past few years the fan base for Toledo has grown considerably. People in California or Texas or West Virginia can talk Rocket football. With the national exposure on ESPN, the Internet, and word of mouth, the University is now a recognizable name. This is a great thing. But to really answer your question about rooting for a "MAC skool" I want to emphasize that the MAC is not a pushover. It is a conference that will get better with time and patience. Teams are now preparing for Toledo as if they are preparing for a "big school." That means one word, respect. Hey, the MAC is usually the underdog in a game against a non-conference opponent. Root for Toledo the next time they play on national TV. Hopefully, you’ll grow to love them the way I have. I hope you will consider the University of Toledo when you go to college. I hope this answers your question. Have a good one. Mr. Sopher His response came the next day. Dear Mr. Sopher, I guess Toledo is pretty cool then. Maybe I will consider UT as my new home in four years. I bet you would be proud of me for choosing Toledo. Thanks, "Jake" You bet I would be proud of you, "Jake." Have a question or comment for Mike? Email |