Post-Football bitterness...

[Shakedowncapo]

Anybody here who thought they were good enough to play at the next level feel a little bitter when they see a player in their position? Sometimes I can barely go through a football game without saying, "I'm better than this guy, whatever" then turn the channel and watch something else. I used to play OL in HS and in a bit in college before injuries started to mount up and I found it better to hang em' up.

Sorry for the rant but had to get it off my chest.

[bkrich83]

Quote: Originally Posted by Shakedowncapo

Anybody here who thought they were good enough to play at the next level feel a little bitter when they see a player in their position? Sometimes I can barely go through a football game without saying, "I'm better than this guy, whatever" then turn the channel and watch something else. I used to play OL in HS and in a bit in college before injuries started to mount up and I found it better to hang em' up. Sorry for the rant but had to get it off my chest.

No. I was a marginal player at the college level. Having seen the players at the next level up close, I can see just how large the talent gap was from a player like me to that level. Although I am convinced I actually do catch the ball better than Vincent Jackson.

I miss playing, and I'd give anything to play just one more game, but I have no illusions about being better than anyone.

[BigDofBA]

Quote: Originally Posted by Shakedowncapo

Anybody here who thought they were good enough to play at the next level feel a little bitter when they see a player in their position? Sometimes I can barely go through a football game without saying, "I'm better than this guy, whatever" then turn the channel and watch something else. I used to play OL in HS and in a bit in college before injuries started to mount up and I found it better to hang em' up. Sorry for the rant but had to get it off my chest.

I know what you're saying. I never got that feeling from football but I got it from baseball. A lot of the players on my high school team went juco. I had the chance but decided to goto a large University rather than some junior college in Kansas.

It turns out that two players from my high school team ended up getting scholarships to OU while two others ended up getting scholarships to OSU. One guy even got drafted. It made me a little jealous, I'm not going to lie.

A few of my friends have also made it to the pros. DeDe Dorsey was the backup RB for our high school team, yet he made the Colts roster last year. They cut him in the pre-season because he got injured. The Bengals have since picked him up. It was pretty cool when he came to Norman to visit us last year, all blinged out and everything.

Josh Johnson, pitcher for the Florida Marlins, is another person. It's hard to be jealous of him though because he always had more talent than the other kids. He was on a baseball team I played on in 8th grade that traveled all over the country for tournaments.

I don't know if I would call myself bitter but I may be a small bit jealous. Anyway, I wish them all luck.

[MassNole]

For me it was frustrating in HS, I flat out knew I was better than a lot of other people who saw more playing time. I would dominate in practice, but the DL coach always said it was because I guessed on the play because I didn't have perfect head movement. I guess getting in the backfield most plays and changing the direction of the run was always pure luck.

It was even worse on offense, sure I didn't have blazing speed but I had football speed to get away. When I played FB, my first two carries I popped 60 yard runs but then got benched for no reason. Then I move to TE my senior year, where not to be an *** but I had the best hands on the team from playing lacrosse, but I never got a chance. Lesser players would play more, it eventually lead to me just quitting. There was no fun or joy in watching others play when I knew I was better and not even getting a chance.

[Dallasin2K3]

This one time, on NCAA 06, I made a sweet user catch against Auburn when I was at Ole Miss... It was then that I thought I could be something special. There was double coverage and everything. But I hit Y and it was heroic. One of those things you never forget.

I never really got the chance to try, so I'm not sure if I would have been able to pull that off on Madden or not. I know it's not Madden, but there's a lot of talent in the SEC... I was watching an infommercial for the Juiceman one night about a year later and saw Madden 2007 football on a commercial... I saw Freddie Mitchell make a user catch, against the Giants - and it was a move I'd pulled before at Old Miss. I knew I could have done that. I just never got my shot.

Oh well... They say you've got to be a little bit lucky, no matter how good you are. I guess the cards just didn't fall my way. It's one of those things that stays with you, ya know?

[oakfan162]

Scored 4 TDs. HS MVP. Coulda gone pro...

[eXperiment63]

I feel jealous about baseball and football at times because I was an amazing athlete great at both sports. Then I blew both knees out and just flat out couldn't move like I was able to beforehand, and I would be in pain if I worked it too hard. I had to quit. I still think about how well I could be doing for myself right now.

I'm not bitter, but I sure as hell do get jealous.

[Lintyfresh85]

definitely bitter about baseball. Funny thing was I was statistically a top 3 hitter on my team each year... so my coach started me at DH a lot, sadly he thought I had no defensive potential so when I wasn't DH'ing I was sitting the bench... thing was, whenever I was in the field I did perfectly fine. Oh well, I guess that's not really bitter cause I played a ton, but I would have loved to play in the field more.

As for Football... I knew I sucked, so I wasn't that upset when I rode the pine in HS.