Overshadowed Saturday

I’m a Gator and I respect Florida State.

No, not for its three national titles; no, not for its remarkable 24 consecutive seasons bowling; no, not for head coach Bobby Bowden’s class-act demeanor on and off the field. No, not for any of these reasons.

I respect Florida State for wearing number 95 decals in honor of Miami Hurricanes’ defensive tackle Brian Pata, who was found dead of a gunshot wound outside his apartment Tuesday.Located on opposite sides of a state that has housed eight of the last 23 national champions, seven of them between these two colleges who have met at least once each of those years, sometimes twice, such a symbol of respect should not go unnoticed.

“It’s tougher on parents,” Bowden told the Tallahassee Democrat, “but to coach where so many of these kids are like their sons, it’s tough on them, and the team. I’ve been through it twice. I hope I never go through it again. It’s tough on the team.”

Both Miami and FSU have suffered on the field this year, which continued Saturday as each school dropped to 5-5. Had I told you that their schools would have combined for 5 losses all season, you would have given me odds. But it’s more than dignified that they should mourn together as well.

And I respect Florida State for it more than I ever thought possible.

FSU Senior tight end Edwin Pierre-Pata, Pata’s half-brother, missed the game after he went home Wednesday to be with his family, but the gesture is nothing short of mythical.

36 years ago, almost to the date, the plane carrying the Marshall football team crashed on descent to Huntington, W.Va., killing all 75 people on board, more than half of which were players and coaches, after what was likely a faulty altimeter caused the pilot to believe he was 400 feet higher than he actually was.

On Nov. 14, 1970, the Thundering Herd lost to East Carolina 17-14, dropping its record to 3-6. The plane took off as scheduled, but crashed into a hillside.

Saturday, East Carolina unveiled a plaque to commemorate the tragedy, just three days shy of the anniversary. It was Marshall’s first time playing in Greenville, N.C. since 1978 and only the second since the accident. The Pirates won 33-20.

The story may be turned into a Hollywood film set to be released in December, but the respect between these two institutions most likely won’t be duplicated on screen.

“The initial feeling in all of us was, `Hey, we just saw those guys. They were just here,'” said ECU Assistant Athletic Director Gary Overton, who was on the Pirates in 1970, to the Associated Press.

And they were just there. Just like Pata.

While four of the top nine teams went down this week in college football, and another survived literally by its fingertips, the focus should not be on who is now in national title picture, but rather on four colleges and the undeniable respect they have shown each other on and off the field.

It might not be, but it should be.

Miami and Florida State both won on Saturday, maybe not on the scoreboard, but at least in my book. While I may not like either team, I respect both schools for their actions.

When something like this happens, the score doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter that Miami lost, that Florida State lost, that East Carolina beat Marshall. It matters that they were out there.

Miami was playing for a colleague, a teammate, a friend; Florida State in the honor of a rival and a friend; and ECU and Marshall for people who died long before any of the players were born.

It was a long day, and a great day, for college football. But there were only two real stories in the scheme of the world.

And I respect Florida State. And Miami. And East Carolina. And Marshall.

I respect them a lot more than I ever thought I would take the time to.

Sometimes we respect those we can’t stand. Sometimes we love them too.