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By Craig Degel
Arizona Daily Wildcat
November 6, 1996
Whether you agreed with the fake or not, you have to admit that Dick Tomey has guts.I would have kicked the extra point, but sports writers are paid to second guess, not make the initial decision. Still, let's face it, the call took guts.
I applaud Tomey for having the gumption to make that call and I hope he continues to make those kinds of decisions despite failing on Saturday.
Tomey's biggest criticism over the last 10 years in Tucson is that he is too conservative. His teams were always built not to lose rather than to win.
Saturday, Tomey went for a win. The only problem is that he probably didn't earn himself any friends in doing so.
From the idiot in Section 4 of Arizona Stadium who constantly chants, "Right ... up ... the middle!" during football games, to the sorority girls who watch freshman quarterback Keith Smith run for 12 yards on an option and say, "What was that? We need a new offensive coordinator," Tomey will continue to take his lumps from people who don't appear to know anything about the game of football.
And that's a shame.
I had never gone to an Arizona football game and sat in the stands until this year. After standing around and listening to some of the people in the stands, I have come to the conclusion that everybody at this university went to a high school that had a r un-and-shoot offense that scored 60 points a game and won a state championship every year.
I kid you not, I once saw a team win a football game 2-0. On the opening kickoff, the receiver stepped back into the end zone and was tackled for a safety.
Whether the score was 2-0 or 70-0, a win was a win. In the 1990s, the Wildcats have one of the top three winning percentages in the Pacific 10 Conference.
If you can't possibly handle Arizona football, transfer to Oregon State and see how much fun you have in Corvallis.
It wouldn't surprise me to see "Arizona State: National Champion" shirts on campus if the Sun Devils pull it off.
I think it's amusing that the same people who crucify Tomey for a call when it fails stand up and cheer the loudest when something goes right.
Maybe all that extra weight on the bandwagon is what's keeping the Wildcats from gaining any speed.
Sports editor Craig Degel shares his thoughts on sports and life every Wednesday in the Arizona Daily Wildcat.
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