Dear Bobcat fans ... a note from your sportswriter
My Two Cents
Jay Palmer Sportswriter
Dear Bobcat fans,

For the third straight year and for the seventh time in eight years, our beloved Bobcats have made the state playoffs. I am sure that as a Bobcat supporter you are just as excited about that as I am. A streak like that doesn't happen very often and the thrills our young men have treated us to over the last years are nestled in our hearts and memories forever. But as a loyal Bobcat fan I think it is high time that we change our normal focus of the Georgia Dome game to the one that really matters, the state championship game.

Now please don't get me wrong. You do have to make it to the Dome to get to the finals, so that game is important. But I am taking a "been there, done that" attitude toward the festivities in Atlanta this year. I would like to see the Bobcats win the last game of the season and hoist the state championship trophy for the first time in 43 years. And this year is the year to do it. There is not a dominat team out there that should scare us. Yeah, everybody talks about Buford being great. But does anybody really know that? They play a soft schedule and have not beaten anybody of note in the last couple of years. Charlton is rebuilding, and most everyone else thinks Thomasville and Fitzgerald are the next best teams. I know we lost to both of those, but I left both those games thinking we lost them more than the Hurricanes and Bulldogs beat us.

The championship is within our grasp. We have the players, coaches and fans to get the job done. It is time for the Bobcat Nation to come together and ride the championship wave for the next five weeks. While we fans can't control the action on the field, we can be a factor in the game. I think as a whole, the Bobcat fans have done the best job of supporting this team this season that could be done. Keep it up! You folks in the stands make a huge difference in our football team. While I can't be as active in the cheering as I would like to be, I'm there in spirit.

There are a couple of other items that I would like to add to this letter. While all Bobcat fans have good intentions, there are some things that can derail this championship train. I, like any other fan, don't always agree with the coach's calls or strategy. That's part of being a fan and it is absolutely okay with me if you disagree with anything you want regarding that. But don't disagree in front of the players. Players have to have confidence in their coaches. Downgrading them within earshot of players does nothing to help us win games. Nobody works harder or wants to win worse than our coaching staff does. They're not going to get all the calls right every time, but we sure do win a lot of games, so they must be getting more right than wrong.

More importantly, stay off the players. Kids are going to have bad games. But always bear in mind, they are just kids. They don't get paid, they are not on scholarship, they are just normal everyday teenagers who bust their fannies to wear the blue and gold. So they miss a tackle or blow coverage. They throw an interception or fumble the ball. I hate it as much as anyone, but it is part of the game. And we should all remember that at the end of the day, it is just a game. If you get so upset about losing that you boo and berate teenagers you need to reevaluate your priorities. Football is about teaching young men about life. It is not life itself.

I look forward to seeing all of you in Louisville Friday night.

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