The Legend Of Shankapotimus

For years I've blogged about the legend of Shankapotimus.  It's an entity that crushes the hearts and souls of football fans by snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.  It rears its ugly head at the most inopportune times and changes the course of history by preying on the fears and insecurities of able bodied kickers.  In the past I've had little or no sympathy for the victims of Shankapotimus.  In fact I found it rather amusing to watch fans put their fate in the hands of a kicker only to watch that kicker miss wide right, wide left, or come up short.  Of course it's all fun and games until Shankapotimus changes the fate of my team and after Friday's Apple Cup debacle I have a greater appreciation and respect for the pain caused by the Shankapotimus phenomenon.

To be honest, I've been in a bad mood since Friday afternoon when Shankapotimus helped take out my beloved Washington Huskies.  I thought I'd be over it by now, but the shock still hasn't worn off.  It's inconceivable that a scholarship kicker could miss from 29 yards out, but somehow it happened and now Husky fans everywhere have to suffer the consequences and take unwarranted abuse.  As you might expect I received more than my fair share of phone calls, texts, e-mails, tweets, and posts on the subject.  I had people reaching out to me from Bangkok, Thailand trying to find a plausible explanation.  I had Cougar fans from Waycross, Georgia mocking me and calling me names.  Every Cougar fan I know (and that's a lot) found a way to get in contact with me and rub the loss in my face.  All this because some 21 year old kicker couldn't do his job.  Shankapotimus is cruel.

But enough about me, the more pressing issue is the way Shankapotimus sent the Husky football program into a tailspin.  One loss may not seem like a big deal, but going 7-5 instead of 8-4 is huge.  Will big time recruits still want to come to a school that can't beat WSU?  Will alumni donate millions of dollars to a program that will break your heart?  Will big time companies still want to advertise at the newly renovated stadium?  Will the players (with their fragile egos) ever fully recover from the loss?  Will coach Sark get a chance to stick around long enough to see his plan through?  Does he deserve to?  Will TV networks still want to broadcast Husky games?  The long term ramifications of the Shankapotimus incident are somewhat scary.

The Huskies are still bowl eligible, but no one seems to care.  instead of playing Michigan, Texas, South Carolina, or TCU in a bowl game they'll probably end up playing Texas Valley Cristian St. or the Southern Iowa Grasshoppers in the Frito Lay Salad Bowl on December 16th.  The Huskies are no longer relevant enough for major bowl consideration.  At present my confidence in Husky football is rather low and I'm not sure I'll tune in to watch the bowl game regardless of the opponent.  Once bitten, twice shy.  DAMN YOU SHANKAPOTIMUS!!!  Kickers will ruin your life!