Written by: Brendon LaBatte
Well we’ve played two games since I last wrote a blog. I try to keep the blog weekly but sometimes due to time restraints or other issues that can pop in life, I am unable to so. However, this past week’s miss was due to neither. It was a conscious decision I chose to make because after the last two plays of the Montreal game I had nothing to say. That was the most crushing defeat I’ve ever had in my football career. To have two shots from the one yard line and not get the ball in is absolutely embarrassing for an offensive lineman. It’s a moment that you wish you could have back and redo, but there’s no such thing. All of the other controversy that later arose from the game didn’t matter to me, the league’s comments, the he was in on the first try, none of that changes the fact that we had two chances to win the season series with the two-time defending champs and came up short. That’s not just a black eye on the o-line that will go away over time. That’s a scar that won’t ever leave us. When you screw up and make a mistake, nothing you say (or in my case write) will make it better. Excuses are something that we try very hard not to allow in our locker room. The stuttering and back tracking, the “well he….”, or the “but I thought….” none of that stuff changes what happened. In fact it only delays the inevitable, when one must admit and take responsibility for their mistakes. I don’t know how exactly you can make up for something like that but not allowing it to happen again is probably a good place to start. When you fail to walk the walk you best not be trying to talk the talk.
Last week we played Hamilton and were able to establish ourselves as championship contenders with the win. We guaranteed ourselves a spot in the post season, which was a great feeling after the last two years ended in early disappointment. It was a particularly important game for the O-line after the mishaps of the week before. We were able to respond with a solid outing and get ourselves back on the path to respectability, culminating with our own Glenn January being awarded the Friday Night Gladiator. It’s rare for an Offensive Lineman to win such a prestigious award so congratulations to Glenn. As an O-lineman, the group can enjoy the notoriety received by one individual because our jobs are so reliant upon each other. It still doesn’t make the sting from two weeks ago go away, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Thanks a lot for checking out my blog.
