This may be too philosophical for this board, but the past two days I've seen the word deserve used in conjunction with football and basketball having both negative and positive connotations. I really hate that word. It's a human fallacy.

No one deserves anything, for better or worse. Is BLove's pride/ambition worth more MAC championships than the pride of a commuter student at Eastern Michigan? Even if it was quantifiable, there is no hierarchy to deliver wins to the most "deserving" fans. That's one of the problems with America, every citizen seems to have an idea that they "deserve" what they want. I don't know why.

Using adjectives that describe yesterday's feelings like frustrated, defeated, and let down do not take away from what OUr student athletes and staff have accomplished. However when people start using that mythical word deserve, instantaneously every thing that OUr athletic program, and the individuals that are a part of it, accomplished can be taken away.

We beat the MAC East Champ on the road ("One for the thumb"). We won 8 games. We lost 4 games. We will be in a bowl game. We did not make it to the MAC championship. We had one of the easiest schedules in college football. These are all facts and accomplishments about and for this football team. They elicit different feelings in each fan.

I'm fine with feelings and opinions, this is definitely the place for all that, but don't dilute the truth. Would we have made a bowl game 40 years ago, no. Will we make a bowl game this year, yes. Talk about the differences then and now but don't say they shouldn't be playing in the Humanitarian Bowl because of yesterday. That comes off that we'd rather have UL Monroe play there than us. (Finances aside). That hurts the young men who suit up for the Green and White each week in a way that no fan should be a part of.

American Heritage Dictionary:

de*serve

v.tr.  To be worthy of; merit.

v.intr.  To be worthy or deserving.

So, dear folks, it really is a good English word with Latin roots.  

In this context I would say we merit serous consideration for a bowl.  We are worthy!  (We would have been more worthy having beaten KSU, but that's 'nother story.)