Almost

My son fell asleep during the ballgame. He just couldn’t stay awake any longer. It was early in the third quarter, and Auburn was still ahead. This morning, when he woke up, his first words to me were, “Dad, don’t tell me who won…I want to see it on Sports Center.”

As soon as the television was turned on, the recap of the game was beginning. I stood there and watched….again….the painful catch on the last play. I thought to myself, “and Auburn loses on the last play.” Much to my surprise, my son’s comment to me was, “Gosh….we almost won on the last play.”

What a difference in the way to see last night’s ballgame! To me, I went to bed thinking “Auburn lost on the last play.” My son woke up this morning and said, “Auburn almost won on the last play.” If ever there was a negative way of looking at something (my view), and turning it to a positive way of looking at it (his view), this is it.

It made me think about the word “Almost”. According to the New English Oxford Collegiate Edition Dictionary, “almost” means “having all of the elements except for the finish.”

Auburn almost won. LSU was, by most prognosticators, one of the two best football teams in the nation. Auburn almost won. LSU had the best defensive line in the country. Auburn almost won. LSU had a homefield advantage in one of the most difficult venues for a visiting team to play in. Auburn almost won. LSU is a veteran team with veteran All-Americans on both sides of the ball. The mostly young Auburn Tigers almost won.

Auburn went head to head with LSU, having all of the elements to win the ballgame last night. Most portenders of College Football foretelling didn’t believe Auburn could. Auburn had all of the elements needed to win the football game last night except the finish on a miraculous catch by LSU. Auburn almost won.

Just a few weeks ago, this same team had over 15 turnovers in three games and was 1-2. The season was “almost” over. It had all of the elements to be a memorable season of disaster. Almost. Except for the finish.

We are now seeing the finish.

Though we were on the short end of the stick last night, Auburn has a very good football team. And though they weren’t supposed to, Auburn almost won. This after going on the road to beat Florida and Arkansas, with a home win vs. Vandy thrown in the middle.

What a finish indeed. Last night, Auburn almost won.

War Eagle,

WJLaneSr