Coach Flip Naumburg's Journal

Monday, June 6, 2005

THE LONGEST DAY

Today is June 6, and the 61st anniversary of the allied forces invasion at Normandy, a major turning point for WWII in the European theatre of operations. On that "D" day, June 6, 1944, I guess they fought from before dawn until well after dark, and it was a day that came to be known as "The longest day" in war history annals…….. At least that was the name of the movie they made about it starring John Wayne.

That first Friday of this May (2005) was becoming my version of the longest day, but the fact is that it was merely the tiptoe through the proverbial overture of tulips compared to the two act not-so-rose colored drama that was to play out on Saturday and Sunday.

Yet to come on the Friday in question, however, was practice, and with it the task of telling the team as a whole what had been transpiring throughout the day. We had scheduled our outdoor practice for 7:00 p.m. for the first and only time all year. The idea was to get one (outdoor practice) under the lights in case we had to play under the lights in Minnesota.

The very important meeting that would happen on the phone with myself and the MDIA was scheduled for me to call in at 8:30 our time, right about the end of our "night" practice. I made it happen that way, and the whole team sort of stood around and "listened as I was "grilled" by the Executive Committee of the MDIA. By the way, that also turned out to be our last practice for 2005.

AUTHOR, AUTHOR

I have gotten emails lately. This is not new. Everybody gets emails. That’s not what I mean. The fact of the matter is that I get some feedback, but I don’t often get what I would consider a whole lot of editorial commenting concerning the Journal and the things written in it. I was getting some emails concerning my little interview with myself.

Well, actually there is this one particular contemporary of mine who would seem to be my personal editor. He knows who he is, and for the most part I appreciate all the help and factual support I can get. You could call him my personal Mr. Way-Beyond-Spell-Check. He actually comments constantly, but I just say thanks for reading at all.

Anyway, these most recent communications I have been getting were more or less inquiring as to when the next "installment" of the INTERVIEW WITH A RAM’PIRE might be coming along, as if I have some control of it. I’m glad "they" are enjoying the narrative, and that they seem to be enjoying the ride so much more than I am.

I’m not feeling like Neil Simon or anything. There is no "happy ending". I can’t change the events or the outcome of the story if I don’t like the way it reads. Boy (CSU lacrosse) doesn’t eventually get girl (Trip to Minnesota) and live happily ever after for a year. In my mind there was and is no possibility for a satisfactory conclusion to this saga. Oh well, I say power to the people, "write on".

NO MATTER WHICH WAY YOU GO, IT REMAINS A TALE OF WOE

I have no idea how this completed version of life lived in eligibility Hell will eventually take shape on paper, or even if it will ever make sense at all, let alone when I will be done with it. This is not a pleasure-writing Journal cruise down the story telling river. There is no plot to play around with because we already know how and where it ends up.

I am semi-painfully up-chucking, or should I say uploading this whole very distasteful piece of unfulfilled promise from one very empty season. I am approaching this as a "real" interview in order to get it in a story form in hopes of gaining a better understanding of God knows what, but of something, that is for sure.

FRANKENFRIDAY

Q – Again I ask what happened at the MDIA meeting Friday night?

A – I still have to get through Friday afternoon.

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Flip Started Blogging Before it was Cool, Read Over 400 of His Entries Since January 2001
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