Sunday, December 20, 2009

Listening to Jerry Jeff Walker Christmas carols in sunny Colorado

The end of the regular season has provided free time to enjoy some of my past times. Traveling, hunting, golf, visiting family and friends and fishing in Costa Rica. It's been a grand time and now it's off to San Francisco to celebrate Christmas with the family. Daughter Laura, the ex Hawkeye basketball player is finishing her third year at KGO Radio in San Fran and is the president of the Bay Area I-Club. She'll entertain us until the whole Podolak family heads for the Orange Bowl.

The Hawks have provided us with a great fall of football so we have that experience to add to all of the things to be thankful for in 2009. Now the players are working overtime (under the NCAA rules) to get 2010 started right. They know that it is quite an honor to be selected to the BCS Orange Bowl and are paying the price to be at the top of their game. The bowl season is especially rewarding because it allows the team to spend some special time together. Over a players college career one develops strong friendships with team mates who you'll be close to for life. This time for the seniors gives them a few more weeks to enjoy being around each other. The team travels together, lives together and eats their meals together and best of all their are no classes This may surprise a lot of people but a many players even enjoy practice, especially when it's 80 degrees.

This team has proven that they belong in a BCS game by their performance under pressure. This group of Hawks have displayed great leadership on the field. Coach Ferentz and his staff can have a team prepared for what ever Saturday brings but it's the leadership on the field that is the difference between winning and losing in pressure situations.In my opinion the leaders of this team has been the best group that Coach Ferentz has had in a while.

Merry Christmas and see you in Florida