Sinking faster than the Titanic are the hopes of a season that will finally pull the Skyhawk football team away from its less than glorious past few seasons.

Last week’s loss to Samford has left many to doubt the final outcome of the season at hand. I however, will stick up for the team (i.e. last week’s column) and ask for patience on behalf of the Skyhawk faithful.

The team is young and in a very competitive conference. This coming from a person who took full advantage of trashing the team whenever possible when I worked for another school paper at another OVC school.

The team has had a rebuilding frame of mind and is trying to secure a fan base. “Rebuilding collegiate teams is much harder than pro-teams.” At least according to one of the greatest football coaches of all time, football-coaching legend Vince Lombardi.

However, football is not the only sport played at UTM in the fall. It is great to see more fans embracing sports that 10 years ago would have been considered second rate. I do realize that we come from and area rich in the love of football, but times they are a changing.

The Skyhawk Volleyball team posts the number one spot in the OVC and has had a growing fan base over the last three years. The team is definitely a winner (3-0 in the OVC so far) and is proving early season predictions about them right by extending their win streak to six games.

The Skyhawk soccer team is getting a lot of much deserved attention lately, as it tries to achieve a milestone in its brief five-year history. The program was a shock to most local people who didn’t even know what a soccer ball looked like, much less the World Cup and the significance of what the rest of the world refers to as “Football.”

The sport matches wits with endurance and poise, qualities in which people need to develop for life. It is rough and tough, with good days and bad, but overall is the most widely known sport in the world.

When I traveled to Europe for the first time, I could not speak French or German, but the love of soccer is an international language. What we could not say in a common language, we said with fancy footwork and trick shots. It was a truly unique experience.

When I traveled to South America, though I can speak fluent Spanish, I got to see first hand what an impact a singe sport had on a completely different culture. It was staggering. Comments, Criticisms, Complaints, or opinions please e-mail me, the Schmoman at Pacer_Sports@mars.utm.edu.

P.S. If anyone on campus knows my Assistant Sports Editor, please tell her to get well soon. I can’t handle all this by my self. HURRY UP AND GET WELL!!!!!!!!!