By: Johny Bonney
Chances are you were one of the many thousand either in attendance or tuning in live on The Score for this past weekend's much hyped Yates Cup final starring our uOttawa Gee-Gees and the Western Mustangs. Now provided we were watching the same game, you too felt what I felt: the sheer agony of defeat.
The image that will be forever etched in my memory will be that of Brad Sinopoli on his knees following Western's final tackle. It hurt knowing just how much this meant to him and the team. Like him, I remained in utter disbelief as I truly believed that he and the Gee-Gees deserved a better outcome on this day.
Over the course of the season, a winning attitude was contagious in these parts. Day in and day out, I could see it in the faces of the coaches and players, and gradually it would spread to support staff, students, across campus, to the local media, and eventually to the community as a whole. By the time the Gee-Gees took to their destiny on Saturday, all of us 7,194 fans in attendance, and the many more watching coast to coast, believed that this much was possible.
Unfortunately, it just was not meant to be. Credit to Western for coming in and getting the job done. While we can curse the referees until we turn blue in the face, contemplate the "what if this and that", or demand a rematch, the harsh reality of sport will always remain: we lost, they won. Yet, in the grand scheme of things, there were no losers on this day.
In two games this year, the Mustangs and the Gee-Gees have a combined score of 45?45, and both with seven wins and one defeat on the season. Could it get any closer? Now at this point, forgive me if I sound like one of those forever positive persons trying to save face; no, we lost the game fair and square. Still, I can't help but feel the ruminants of that winning attitude that got us to the Yates Cup in the first place.
I think we can all be proud of what was accomplished on Saturday. The fans, coaches and players gave it their all there is no question. The atmosphere was electric and almost beyond description. And in case you were not there, just ask someone who was, and they will tell you. It will be something the players will take with them and forever cherish long after their playing days are over.
Two groups of student-athletes went beyond what should ever be expected of them; they held nothing back, and put their bodies and hearts on the line. All things considered, it was perhaps one of the greatest and purest sporting events I have ever been a part of. Sure, it would have been that much sweeter had we won, but I think we can all take comfort in knowing that while we rather win as one, we also lose as one.
And so with that, I just wanted to say thank you to the uOttawa Gee-Gees football team and all their supporters who accepted the loss with the upmost humility and class. May you be forever proud of how you went beyond the call of duty to reinvigorate this campus with a winning spirit.
More importantly, may this experience serve as testament to the merit of varsity sports as a whole in being an integral part of the university experience, and its ability to build a strong sense of belonging between all athletes, students, university staff, alumni and the outside community alike. Thank you for making my Yates Cup experience what it is and was, win or lose.
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Johny graduated from the University of Ottawa in 2009, and is the current Sports Information Officer for the uOttawa Gee-Gees. He has been working with the uOttawa Sports Services since late August of this year, and had the privilege of following the Gee-Gees football team very closely this season.
