If life was a department store, college football and sports in general would be in its toy section. The games are what give people refuge from the mundanity of life and the constant atrocities taking place overseas.
Saturdays - or in this case Friday nights - allow people an escape from, for example, the latest ISIS beheading. Which is why, following his team's 28-6 loss to Louisville, Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer contrasted his feelings following the Orange's 22-point loss to... ISIS beheadings. What?
The question in full context: "I know it might not be easy to define, but what are the series of emotions you go through in this game? Is it frustration, is it despair, is it..."
Shafer cuts the questioner off with this response: "No despair. I'm the luckiest guy alive. ISIS is out there cutting people's heads off. The real world has got some major problems. Some major problems. And we're just so doggone lucky to be coaching and playing a sport and being criticized for not getting a call made with a couple seconds left in the game, or being criticized for not catching a dead pig with air in it. So, you know, to me, life is pretty damn good, and I'm so lucky to be having to field these types of questions. I feel so lucky to be a football coach and living the dream. Every once in a while it's uncomfortable, but that's what makes the highs that much better."
See for yourself below.
Shafer has the right intent behind his response - no matter how drastic it feels, college football is a game, there are more important things going on in the world - but chose a poor reference to make that point.
This isn't the type of thing Shafer should have to apologize for, but unfortunately it's not the first time he's put a proverbial appendage in his mouth. This time it was his foot, and in January it was his thumbs.
(HT SB Nation)