RichRod: That Folgers Commercial Makes Me Cry Every Time . . .

Morgantown, WV --- Fresh from pampering himself with a little bit of “me time” following his team’s crushing loss to the Pitt Panthers on Saturday, Coach Rich Rodriguez emerged from his chrysalis as a refreshed and beautiful butterfly. “I am ready to move on after having my hopes of a national title stolen from me by those Pitt meanies”, Coach Richrod said, choking back tears. “OK. Rich. We promised ourselves that we wouldn’t cry again.”

Coach Rodriguez said that after reaching his team’s high water mark at 7:44 p.m. on Saturday, he was in a little bit of emotional turmoil, culminating in a blubbering press conference during which his crackled voice could barely be heard over the din of the Pitt players celebrating their easier-than-expected win against the Mounties. “After that game, I just hid myself in Haagen-Daz and Diane Gabaldon novels. I guess ice cream and historical romances are my guilty pleasures,” Coach confessed. “ Anyway, yesterday I was watching the “O” when that Folgers commercial came on. You know, the one where the kid hitchhikes home and goes into his parent's house early in the morning, the little girl runs downstairs to greet him and they quietly make Folger's coffee, which wakes up the mom and she comes downstairs and exclaims "Peter!" God, I was like a fountain after that. But you know what? It made me think what was important. Family, that’s what. And that’s what this team is . . . family.” Rodriguez mused.

“I guess the players got wind I was pretty blue and came over and tried to cheer me up. Pat did that “football juggling” thing he’s been working on these past weeks, Steve told me about this game last year when he rushed for over 50 whole yards!, and some of the other players brought over their kids and grandkids. The refs who worked the game even stopped back to extend their condolences and apologies. We all just sat around sort of fantasizing about the day our Prince Charming would come and take us away to a land where hopes and dreams don’t always fall apart. A special, special place where disappointment is a bad word,” Rich recounted. “Whew. . . OK . . . deep breath.”