Austin Wranglers on the Verge of a Monumental Turnaround

Livestrong, Wranglers

Could this be a turnaround for the ages?

In the history of sports, there have been many failures of drastic proportions. Those monumental collapses include some unbelievable turn of events. Some meltdowns were individual performances that make you want to give the perpetrator a hug, while others were team collapses that have resulted in coach’s resignations and roster revamps. Let’s take a closer look at a few notable ones.

The 2007 New York Mets lost 12 of their last 17 games to blow a seven-game lead in the National League East division and went home without tasting the playoffs. In 2007, the Minnesota Gophers football team had a 35-7 lead at halftime of the Insight.com Bowl against Texas Tech; the final score was 44-41 in favor of the Red Raiders. Probably the worst individual failure came in 1999 when Jean Van de Velde lost six strokes on the final hole of the British Open to force a playoff, which he lost. All he had to do was use a nine-iron and chip the ball down the fairway to earn an easy win, but he refused to play it conservatively and failed in dramatic fashion.

Every once in a while an individual athlete does something – or a team comes together – and lifts the heart. Once down and out, pure will can bring an individual back from the depths of despair and keep a team going on to winning an unlikely championship.

One of the most inspirational comebacks in sports history is Lance Armstrong’s battle with cancer, which as we all know he eventually beat. He went on to win seven Tour de France’s in a row, showing grit and determination not equally matched in the history of sport. Mario Lemieux also comes to mind as he beat Hodgkins disease to make a return to the NHL and have a goal and an assist on the same day he had his last cancer treatment. Another example is the 2004 New York Yankees who had won the first three games of a seven-game playoff series with the Boston Red Sox. With three outs to go in game four, the Yankees lost their heads. The Red Sox came back to win the game in extra innings and won the next three games to make it to the World Series, which they won.

So, the picture is set. The Wranglers lost their first three games of the season, but have won five of their last seven games to get back to .500. The key acquisition was the signing of quarterback Andy Hall, who has thrown for 42 touchdowns in only seven games played. Jon Roberson has been on a tear as well, hauling in 27 touchdown catches in one of the best seasons in recent memory. As a team, the Wranglers are playing collectively better and with more confidence. If the team can beat Corpus Christi this Saturday, June 14, they will be in first place in their division!

This story is about a team in a lower level of Arena Football that refuses to give up, showing the will to do whatever it takes to win. There are no cancer survivors or insurmountable leads to overcome. There are no individual failures of note. It’s about a team coming together as a group to show that hard work and the will to win can breed success. It reminds me of a team of cyclists that helped their leader come back from almost certain death to become one of the greatest athletes of his time.

Livestrong you Wranglers.