Long-suffering BC fans are well aware of Tom O'Brien's statements about the recruiting problems he faced in Boston.
The coach blamed his inability to secure top-notch athletes on two factors: the school's high academic standards, and Bostonians' obsession with professional sports.
This made Boston less attractive than, say, North Carolina?
BC is a few miles outside of one of the most vibrant student-friendly cities in the country. The football program's only drawback is the "just don't lose" mentality, incubated by O'Brien, that saw winning become secondary to conservative playcalling and prevent defenses.
O'Brien's references to recruiting interference fail to account for ten years of mediocre performances. O'Brien's teams consistently played down to their competition instead of stepping up when it mattered.
Thankfully, Saturday's game at Army indicates things have changed for the Golden Eagles.
The scenario was a familiar one: a service academy, painfully deliberate, intelligent, athletic, overmatched...and hard to blow out.
From the looks of it, though, the new coaching staff alerted the Eagles that they just might be "playing down"—and by God they changed!
Imagine that—the team turned an aggressive, play-to-win mindset into a convincing victory.
The "Next Level," so elusive for ten years at Chestnut Hill, has again become part of the discussion in Boston. As for NC State—have fun in Boise, or Sacramento, or wherever else O'Brien leads you.
Just remember that winning can be habit-forming AND contagious AND fun.
But someone has to be willing to stick his neck out and take a chance.
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