After a long period of darkness, darkness that even the banks of stadium lights couldn’t penetrate, the sun rose over the mountain and shed its light and warmth down on the people, and teams. The nightmare was over. Six P.M. signaled a new day. It was a great day, because things didn’t turn out as hoped, but make no mistake, resignation to misery had turned into the hope of the possible. No more boxer stepping into the ring wearing a straight jacket. This time the other guy had to worry about getting hit back. It was a close fight, and the other guy won on points, but looked like he had had the worst of it. Our guy was just elated to finally be able to hit back. I want you to think about that. There is a huge difference between a prize fighter and a sparring partner. One takes a beating for money. The other fights for a prize that goes to the winner. One has no hope. The outcome is pre-determined. There is no joy, no fun, no chance, no hope. There is pain, humiliation, and an erosion of dignity, spirit, and honor. The other one has a chance to win and all that goes with it. The prize being perhaps the least of it.
Our sparring partner turned fighter did well enough last night to know that he had made the right decision. A little sore, a bit banged up, he is walking around today sporting a big ole grin. He knows he can fight if given a chance. He sees other fighters in the gym that he is thinking he can beat, now. This fighting thing could be a whole lot of fun with a win here and there. Training is going to take on a whole new meaning. Instead of rehearsal for a public beating in an exhibition of the other guy’s skills, training has become working on the right that got there just a little late from not being able to use it in sparring sessions. The next guy is the poor bastard that’s going to find out that the right is sneaky fast, and can knock the shit out of you.
Price removed the straight jacket. It was fun. In three days of training, Price convinced our fighter that he was better than a sparring partner. He convinced him that he should stop taking beatings for a living and fight. How do you say how huge that is? There were six more sparring sessions scheduled, but they have been turned into fights. It is going to be interesting to see how our one-time sparring partner does now that he is allowed to actually try to win fights.
It was great to see light in the Sun Bowl, again. The fans had fun, and more importantly perhaps, the players had fun. They had fun and came up one punch short of a win, but just wait and see what that does now that the proof is there for them and they aren’t just hoping that the new guy can help. Last week, they were hoping. Next Saturday they will go into the game knowing! Knowing with a week’s worth of preparation of knowing. Remember Larry Holmes. He was Ali’s sparring partner before he became Champion of the World and even beat his one-time employer who paid good money to beat on him. Things change. Things have changed at UTEP. The sun came up.
One final note. This would be one hell of a story about the coach, if it was a young new coach. Instead, it is a coach that is just holding down the fort. He isn’t using this as a try-out for the job. But, make no mistake about it. It was one hell of a try-out for Eric Price. UTEP is searching during this time for a new Head Coach for next year. Eric Price has to be a candidate. He has the qualifications to fill the position at UTEP. He is actually a made for UTEP candidate. Mike just made his bid for the job. Eric will bring Price football. He is a very different person from his dad, and I don’t know how well the differences would play out. But, the football is the same. I think the next few weeks could be huge in the coaching position search. Mike Price is an Eric Price tryout. The community response to Mike will go along ways in determining the response to a hiring of Eric. Since I know Eric to be as fine a man as you could ever ask for, and I believe a damned good football coach, I would welcome Eric with open arms. The known as opposed to the unknown, untested. That doesn’t mean I am closed to others. It means I am damned sure open to Eric.