Kool Aid Free Zone

The phrase "drinking the Kool Aid" gets used more and more these days in all sorts of context. Basically, it means to blindly follow the hype. In sports it might also be called "reading your press clippings" about how good you are. When athletes drink too much of the Kool Aid, they get over-confident and are most certainly doomed. Keep away from the Kool Aid.

As much as we are all reveling in the start to this season, it is important to remember that only strict preparation, enthusiasm, intensity, and execution by our guys in blue and white will make it continue. Now might be a good time for a history lesson.

Back in the 1992, the last time Hillsdale started 3-0, we too were reveling in a quick start. We had arguably the best tailback in the country in Scott Schulte. Jerry Klekotka was leading an attacking 4-6 defense that was ahead of its time in the then MIFC. We rolled off 8 straight wins that included victories over old thorns like Ashland and Ferris State. That's when I still attest to this day that the Kool Aid started to flow. The Detroit News was doing stories on us. There were even TV crews at our games. We were feeling mighty good about ourselves. We couldn't get enough of the stuff.

Then Grand Valley came to town to sober us up. We didn't know what hit us and that loss lingered into the next week against Butler. Still shell-shocked, we lost again. We limped out of the season with a win against Wayne State. But instead of being outright champs and off to the playoffs, we finished in a 4-way tie with Grand Valley, Butler, and Ferris State for the league title. Ferris, a team we had beaten earlier in the season won its last 8 games and got the playoff bid after starting 1-2.

You should know who was coaching that Ferris team. He wears Chargerblue now and smokes a big cigar after every win. While he was winning out, we were flaming out. Listen to him boys. He knows what the heck he's doing.

Now go beat those Bulldogs again for all of us!