Yesterday when I got home after a long hard day’s work I went straight to my google email alerts to see an single alert for Boise State Football when I opened it the headline from the Sacramento Bee.
My heart sank but I didn’t know that wasn’t even the worst of the news until I opened the page and read about Cory Yriarte. While last night I ranted about Boldewijn my heart was really with Cory but what could I say how do you combat a season ending injury for a 6th yr. medical redshit center.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DED812HKWyM
The fact is as I read about Cory it felt like all the blood was draining from my body leaving a great big emptiness that was followed by a pain that can only be describe as bone pressing. First the emptiness represented what any true fan feels when its a player they deem so vital to the team’s future success. Make no mistake the loss of Cory is 10 times worse than the 4 game loss of Boldewijn. To me Cory was the Turbo to the Powerstroke engine, Cory was the engine control modulator that told each cylinder when to fire each injector how much air and fuel to let it, Cory was the center piece to why I believed this Boise State OL was possibly the best line Boise State had ever fielded, and now he is gone. Then came the pain, this heart wrenching pain as if someone was applying pressure to the very core of my body. This pain however wasn’t from the usual heartbreak I had felt in the past when learning bad news about a player, no this pain was much more personal Cory is one of those guys on the team I am Facebook friends with one of those guys who opened up a little of the person he is to those of us in Bronco Nation who he allowed friendship with. This exposure to Cory the person lent to his fun loving personality, his humble traits and a small part of who he is as person. Cory is just one of those guys everyone likes, and just didn’t show a bad side. Through social media you find yourself becoming more interested in these guys you root for on game day, you become more aware of the hardship and hard work they put it just to go to school and compete. Rooting for Cory had become for me more than just rooting for another guy on the team, it was like rooting for someone much closer to you. So when learning Cory’s career at Boise State had come to such an untimely and unexpected end knowing everything he had overcome and all the work he had put it and how very much he was looking forward to this season really impacted me personal all day today. While social Media can impact players, fans and the schools negatively due to inappropriate behavior or comments, this happens much less often to a greater degree than just the opposite. I know this I see the players much differently than I had before social media then I do today, they are less distant more human and I certainly care much more deeply about them and the challenges before them then my own self-gratification of just players on the field. So when quality young men like Cory suffer those of us who have had the privilege to be allowed in to their world suffer as well and for me that’s a good thing. To see these young men more closely doesn’t just make them more human it inspires more people than just those nearest to them. When you observe and interact with these young men through social media before the season, during the season and after the season you can really start to grasp just how demanding the life of a student athlete’s is, it’s no walk in the park folks and worst yet they do so while living under a microscope. Here to I believe players involved in social media become more aware of their outwardly projection therefor more disciplined ,this too has a positive effect because if one is learning and putting into practice proper public edict, then better habits evolve creating a better person. I have said many times one of the things that has really driven my growth in my fandom of Boise State has been what I have observed of these young men off the field in what can only be describe in their privet lives. To observed young men display themselves in such human and respectful and intelligent as well as humorous ways has greatly improved what my previous image was of the typical college athlete. For me there is danger in social media between fans and athlete, a deeper pain when they suffer a risk that a single foolish remark or episode could kill them publically, that all being said the reward of seeing these student athletes as human beings is so much greater than the danger. Finally to Cory know all of Bronco Nation is hurting with you and not to put pressure on you but many of us will carry this pain in our hearts until we know you are better, so please get back to the mic we all need a good song and a laugh as much as you do.
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