Not that Tom O’Brien has any idea who I am, or that many of you care. But what I read in the newspaper this morning was extremely reassuring:
“If we were a great team, we’d be in the final,” O’Brien said during an interview Monday in his office. “But we’re a pretty good team. And to be pretty good after the three years we’ve went through is really a giant step forward for the program.”
Perhaps Tom and I each just needed some time to cool down. I was angry about losing the Atlantic Division and the chance to play for a title (even as a significant underdog). TOB was (understandably) a little defensive after losing the same, which is apparently just the way he processes disappointment. So, in the immediate aftermath – he was throwing around the word “great” and I threw out “football Sendek.” I was too raw to remember my favorite Costanza mantra. My bad.
In summary – I still agonize over the lost opportunity. Everyone does, or should. It was still a pretty good season, and hopefully will be remembered more as a stepping stone than the apex of the Tom O’Brien era. The head man himself seems to think so, and that’s very encouraging. After all, NC State football and Tom O’Brien are still each other’s last, best chance to get over that elusive damned hump.
