Shame on you, Northeastern students. Shame on you for ignoring Saturday’s football game against the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and two-timing former coach Don Brown. Shame on you, as always, for not caring.
Brown, the guy who agreed to a contract extension with the Huskies and then jilted them to coach at UMass, made his triumphant return to Parsons Field Saturday.
The home stands were half-empty.
Judging by his post game comments, he was clearly emotional about his homecoming.
“This has been the toughest year I’ve ever been through as a person, as a coach and as a professional. It’s not really a great win for me today, I’m just glad we won,” he said. “With all the things that have gone over the dam, it’s not been fun. The win is good, but players get caught in the middle of it sometimes. This was not about the players. It’s been a tough year, let’s just leave it at that.”
Players on both sides displayed heightened emotions.
As Brown led UMass out of the visiting locker room to start the game, receiver Brandon London jumped up and down yelling, “It’s on now! We got they coach! We got they coach!”
Later, after the Minutemen iced the game, UMass linebacker L.A. Love and defensive end Keron Williams iced Brown with a Gatorade bath.
“We knew coming in that he was gonna leave behind some players that he cared about, and we stood by him the whole time,” UMass quarterback Tim Day said. “We knew this game meant a lot to him.”
During the post game handshakes, Brown and Northeastern’s All-American linebacker Liam Ezekiel shared a lengthy embrace. Brown also hugged many of his other former athletes.
“There’s a lot of those guys, Liam Ezekiel, Shawn Brady, Cory Parks, Quintin Mitchell; I could go right down the line,” he said of seeing his old understudies. “I coached those guys for a long time and obviously it’s a very difficult process. They’re great kids, and they’re great football players. They’ve had a lot of success and will continue to do so because they’re great kids.”
Northeastern coach Rocky Hager knew how much the game meant to his players.
“I would say it’s probably the most disappointing loss in particular for our senior class,” he said. “They’ll not have another opportunity to play against the University of Massachusetts. It’s a rival game, and you want to win those rival games. They’re special young men. My heart aches for them.”
NU linebacker Mike Hall expressed his feelings on the game.
“It did hurt a little bit, because you’ve got your coaches that were coaching you last year talking smack to you on the sideline,” he said.
“I’ll never forget this one. It’s another loss, that’s the biggest thing that hurts. A loss is a loss, this one is just a little more painful because it was [our] old staff.
“It was weird to see everybody,” he added. “They recruited us. They came to your house and now they’re across the sideline. But you’ve gotta understand, college football is a business. When you get attached to people, you make relationships, but they’re going to look out for their best interest.”
The UMass fans were aware of the game’s implications, as a gaggle surrounded Brown while he walked off his old field, hugging him and cheering him on.
It seems the only people who didn’t care (and frankly, couldn’t be bothered) were Northeastern students. But why was there little fan support for such an emotionally charged game? The stands were half-empty; the same as any other game.
Simply put, no one cares.
There are no excuses for NU undergrads: It was a gorgeous day. There weren’t any major events competing with it. It isn’t hard to get to Parsons Field. (I’ve done it a few times). It wasn’t a holiday weekend. Tickets are free with your mandatory sports pass.
Sure, their record isn’t good, but this was (or should have been) about respect. Don Brown would have rather coached a different school.
He brought Northeastern its highest football success, a 10-win season and first-ever trip to the NCAA Division 1-AA tournament, and he turned his back and walked right out on you.
So, where were you? Where were you when they needed you? Sleeping, I presume. What a pathetic statement.
You say we want a football stadium on campus, huh? You say it’ll be filled for every game, bring the Northeastern community closer and add to an already blossoming campus?
Act like it.
– Jack Weiland may be reached at [email protected].
