By Richard E. Helmer, IV, MD
I come from a long line of Baylor football fanatics so, I am not the most objective writer. One thing we can all agree on is that this Baylor football team is special. At the end of that magical year dubbed “The Year of the Bear,” a good friend of mine said that Baylor fans should “enjoy it now because we will never see this kind of success again.”
I wholeheartedly doubted his assumption then and believe that even greater things are on the horizon for Baylor athletics. This is saying a lot for someone who sat through the dark ages of Baylor football. I even witnessed the 1999 UNLV debacle (ask your parents if you do not know what I’m talking about).
What I can’t wrap my mind around is why the students don’t show up or stay for the game. Do you realize what we have in this football program?
Gone are the days when Baylor football games were an easy conference win for our opponents. We have two Heisman Trophy hopefuls in Lache Seastrunk and Bryce Petty. During the broadcast of the Texas game on the LHN an announcer said that “Art Briles is one of the best football coaches in America.”
The talent and work ethic of this team is unbelievably believable; and yet the apathy of the student body is also unbelievably believable.
Yes, it is hot. My 8-year-old reminds me of this fact as she sings the words to the Baylor Line. She never leaves and never stops cheering. Come for the ULM game and every game after.
It doesn’t matter that it is not a conference game or a glamorous opponent. Stay until the end. It is ridiculous and embarrassing that Art Briles throw his hat to 20 or so faithful students at the end of a victory.
You have no idea how lucky you are to be a part of a winning tradition at Baylor University. This team deserves your support. The alumni expect it and your school needs it.
Richard E. Helmer, IV, MD
Class of 1995
