“For myself, I always write about Dublin, because if I can get to the heart of Dublin, I can get to the heart of all cities of the world. In particular is contained the universal.” -James Joyce
Another warm morning, thankfully not yet hot, but triple digits will register by 5PM today. The garden glistens in the dim light from the early morning sprinkler shower that concluded moments ago. The sun has yet to complete the daily rise over the Wasatch and the Fuzzy prowls the shadowed fence line foraging for freshly sprouted mushrooms. Not a green leaf nor flower petal dares to shutter. Calm, still, serene. Life is what you make it. In this garden right now, there is peace. No football, but I’ll settle for peace.
It’s 77 F and mid-afternoon in Dublin right now. This sounds like a pleasant day to me. A breeze blows off the Dublin Bay and beckons adventurers to the sea. Sailboats and 30-foot fishing charters bob and cruise through the gently swelling dark waters. Young tykes scream, splash, and throw rocks on the shoreline with artless glee.
Positioned one mile west of this shoreline, on the banks of the River Dodder is Aviva Stadium. Lansdowne Road as it’s formerly known before it adopted the name of a local insurance company. Aviva Group Ireland has owned the naming rights since 2009 with the arrangement set to expire by the end of 2025. The Irish Examiner reported last month that talks are still “ongoing” and if a deal is not reached by 12/31/2025 then the stadium rights will be up for open bid. My speculation from nearly 4600 miles away is that an agreement will not be met and an open bid is the direction it will go. Viva Aviva.
Until then, there is at least one noteworthy event that will take place while it still holds the name. The Aer Lingus College Football Classic for the fourth consecutive year will begin the College Football season.
The Cyclones from Iowa St and Wildcats from Kansas St will battle in a Big12 conference game roughly 4,000 miles from their home turf. A simple 5-hour drive through wide open AG land on two Interstates separates these familiar foes, but on August 23rd, a further commute will be required. August 23rd. 6 1/2 weeks from now, Manhattan and Ames will invade Dublin pubs, hotels, beaches, and most importantly, the 50,000+ seat stadium on the shores of the Irish Sea.
A few may go searching for the “heart of Dublin” as Joyce describes, but most will be seeking a victory for their team.
Afterall, this game matters. This is not just a regional rivalry, but as mentioned, a conference game. Who will be the most excited for it?
Last season TCU Head Coach Sonny Dykes said before his team’s Big12 home loss to UCF that the “team most excited to be there will win.” Who will be the most excited to be playing in Dublin?
Both teams feature proven head coaches, gunslinging quarterbacks, and a better than average defense. On paper, the two teams play out quite evenly as the season begins. Obviously, injuries will play a role in how each team finishes the season, but on Week 0 or Week 1A in Dublin, both Coach Campbell and Coach Kleiman, QB Avery Johnson and QB Rocco Becht, along with both defenses achieve perfect balance when placed on the scale. That said, the most excited team will win this game.
I see 10-10 or 14-14 to be the halftime score, but I believe one team will outscore the other by 2 in the second half for the win. Which team? The most excited one of course. So, who will that be?
Neither time nor inclination allow me to study each and every player on the roster, nor do I have the access to either Field House to evaluate such things myself, so I’ll focus on one player as the x-factor of this matchup. One that might play with more purpose and perhaps even more excitement than anyone else on the team.
When the clock hits triple zero in Dublin, the Iowa Cyclones will be the victor 26-24. The reason, quarterback Rocco Becht.
Coming off a spectacular season and outstanding performance in the Pop Tarts Bowl against Miami, this Junior QB will be poised to improve. Having lost two elite receivers from last season to the NFL, Rocco will know that his veteran, coach-like leadership on the field will be necessary along with his own passion and excitement to build upon last season. Having earned the trust of his Head Coach, Campbell will give him the freedom late in the game to make the plays needed.
In my estimation, Brecht is a QB that will find himself on an NFL roster next season. His own personal love and excitement for the game will be the reason why. It will also be the reason why the Cyclones edge the Wildcats on August 23rd. Football is in his DNA. Born with grass stains on his knees and sideline Gatorade in his blood to a former NFL Tight End, Rocco takes nothing for granted. Hard work, grit, and a love for football have been staples his entire life and somehow, someway, he remains excited for each game. This one in Dublin will be no different.
The start of potentially his final college season will be a victorious one.
Iowa St 26 – Kansas St 24
Iowa St: Moneyline and Over 49.5
At least, it could be.
It’s July 9th. Who knows anything? I know it’s hot outside. “I know that two sides of an isosceles triangle are equal.” Thanks Coach Pop. And I know that the shore of the Irish Sea will be sprinkled with Midwestern farmers donning Purple and White and Cardinal and Gold in 6 very short but equally long weeks.
I know very little, but that’s never hindered me from making bold and unpredictable predictions, for in the bold and unpredictable, lie the fun. Let’s call it excitement. Maybe it’s me, not Rocco that is most excited for the game in Dublin. Put me in Coach.
“Better pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age.”- James Joyce
Not one has known Dublin like Joyce.
Find the humor and keep on movin’
Whit W.