Needing a Little Inspiration?

Even though I sat outside in shorts and a t-shirt today because it was 68 and sunny, I know that all of you back in Big Ten Country are suffering through the doldrums of a brutally cold winter. I did it for 24 years of my life and trust me...it sucks. Going out just becomes a chore, and your pants always get wet near your feet cause the slush is out to get you. It's usually around the month of February when people start needing a little inspiration to know that they can get through it all. And I have that inspiration for you.

Meet Yogi Roth.

Courtesy of one of my favorite writers, Bruce Feldman, we get the story of Yogi and his journey to spread the teachings of Pete Carroll and his Win Forever mentality. This truly is a great story, and speaks to the influence that college coaches have on young mens' lives. My buddy Z has raved about Carroll before, and I'm beginning to learn why. I wish Yogi was writing an actual blog and we could get updates every day, but for now, the only access I have found is Feldman. Click here for an update from Day 4 of Yogi's journey (scroll down to the bottom). Enjoy F&BT fans, and know that winter is almost over...unless it snows in late April again like last year.

And We're Back!

Question: How many comebacks can one blog have?

Answer: As many as I want...deal with it.

Just kidding...sort of. But I can't promise that there won't be more significant stretches without posts throughout this offseason. First of all, the offseason is brutally long. Second of all, well, I've been getting my ass kicked at work worse than Indiana did all season long. As for this past stretch of no contact, all I can tell you is that I was burned out. I'm sure I wasn't the only one either, as the entire state of Wisconsin probably felt my pain. What do you really expect from someone who cares an unhealthy amount about a bunch of 18-22 year olds and has his mood swing wildly based upon their performance once a week?

In the end, the losing was too tough on me, and the winning was usually worse. The frustration from beating an FCS team by having them miss 3 extra points put me near the edge. And while the layoff before the bowl game gave me enough time to back away from that edge and convince myself that all could be saved with a solid performance, I now realize that all I was doing was giving myself room for a running start before I jumped. And what a fall it was. Filled with the rage and frustration of an unfathomable Badger performance against FSU, not to mention about 8 of those large beers from Redmond's in Chicago, I vented to the blog from my blackberry. I said some things I didn't mean (I still love you Dave Doeren), and even re-reading the post didn't make me feel better. What I needed was time. Time to unwind. Time to forget about the 2008 season. Time to rationalize the growth that the UW coaching staff needed to experience. Time to self-reflect about the level of interest I give Wisconsin football.

So that is what I did. I put on some Hootie and The Blowfish, and just gave myself time away from all things Big Ten football. I stopped reading Adam Rittenberg's excellent ESPN.com Big Ten blog. I stayed off the Wisconsin message boards. I literally stopped thinking about Big Televen football and F&BT all together. Until last week.

I saw a top story on ESPN about the Fighting Timmays! of Minnesota scheduling USC for a home and home and immediately the passion returned. I was pumped. I am pumped. This fanatacism for Big Ten football is a good thing. I want to follow a bunch of 18-22 year olds. I want to share my passion with you on this blog. Sometimes it will hurt more than words can express, as it did when I didn't speak for hours after both the Michigan and Michigan State losses, but I want it to hurt. And I want it to make me happier than it should too. The passion ride through the peaks and valleys is what I want...and what I'll keep bringing you here at F&BT. Enjoy the ride, and look for updates at least once a week throughout the offseason. And if I miss a week...deal with it.