Culture, Sports, Writing…or whatever
System. What a word — it indicates order, organization, cohesion to a sense. It surrounds things and ideas and people, possessing control through a somewhat-agreed-upon set of rules and hierarchy. But it’s malleable, too, reducing all this unnecessary complexity into something we can understand. Something we can operate within.
It’s a word that’s come to define college football through its past decade or so, really starting when Florida won in 2006, but hinted when Nick Saban and LSU won in 2003. You had simple, wildly effective systems (Florida), a systematic empire of inevitability (Alabama), rule-bending of systems (Auburn), systemized chaos (LSU, Florida State), and now Ohio State, which we’re still trying to figure out.
If you want, the word can extend even farther, as its wont to do, encapsulating even more of the college football landscape. Changing systems of who’s supreme between the BCS and CFP for instance. It mightily heightened the regular season, what with talk of who’s best or who’s not every single week and (in theory) created better competitive representation in the end. Those two semifinal games were such fun because they extended that uncontrollable, anything-can-happen-at-any-time spirit of the season for another week. But I’m still not sure about it. Not as a Florida State fan*, but as a college football fan. Taking a step back here, it’s not that the No. 4-seeded team won; it’s that’s whether it was Ohio State or TCU (but probably not Baylor), the No. 4-seeded team would’ve won regardless. Both those teams were the two hottest entering the postseason, rewarded for clicking into its highest rhythm at the right time.** But that’s pro ball, not college ball that system. Nothing needs to be changed just yet, but new systems deserve to be questioned, side-eyed, not heartily embraced like a long-lost teddy bear.
*No matter who they faced or where they played, FSU was losing. I can admit this readily after the fact, but would never have beforehand. Fandom’s about willful ignorance and loving misshapen, broken things. Or something like that.
**The month off didn’t help anyone, by the way. It hurt Florida State, who looked like they had relaxed a little too much. Saban let Kiffin whisper a bit many sweet nothings into his ear, seducing him into trusting him more than he should or has. And Oregon’s always gonna Oregon. As high-flying, fast tempo everyone labels them, the Ducks pretty much stay the same regardless of opponent or game. Defenses can force them to downshift, but Oregon’s never had an extra gear to that offense. (Though I’m unsure how realistic that is.)
And though I prefer not to admit it, media narratives have systemized to a degree. With the rise of Twitter and online media, everyone knows what everyone else is thinking or feeling. And if you don’t know, people will be sure to (quite eagerly) inform you. What’s more, whatever you do believe (or think you believe), there’s usually enough others to band together and never confront an alternate reality. Most play roles now instead of speaking what they think or feel. What a brave new world we live in.
Because of this, we receive the same pre-packaged, easily digestible storylines each year. The team that’s finally putting it all together. The guy who’s dedicated to practice now and grown from his mistakes. The coach who just needs to retire or move on (usually, this guy’s a legend of some sort to his school; see: Bobby Bowden, Mack Brown, et al.) (Bob Stoops will be this guy next year.) And my favorite: The old build-em-up-tear-em-down. Here we go, past five years: Jameis Winston. Johnny Manziel. Manti Te’o. Tyrann Mathieu. Nick Saban. Cam Newton. Need I continue?
I mean, how many times must we lionize then demonize, lionize then demonize, lion-demon, good-bad, G.O.A.T.-scapegoat these dudes? Call it unnecessary moralizing or appropriate reporting (the answer’s obvious) — but I just find it so boring. Who cares?
Regardless, what we saw Monday night was one system better calibrated than the other. Ohio State’s reached a little higher. When both systems broke down — which they did, multiple times throughout the night before resetting — one dude faltered, and the other sort of made it up as he went. Cardale Jones ran over guys, threw risky balls around, and didn’t panic. Simply put: He was just more creative than Marcus Mariota. Jones accomplished more with less.
Still, as successful as Jones was, it was the traditional Meyer system surrounding him that propelled him there. It’s not so much as shocking that Ohio State won as it is surprising we didn’t notice them. (Which is what happens when you lose your starting QB and lose to that Virginia Tech team. People don’t forget.) Meyer’s been doing the system thing since his days at Utah, so to think Oregon’s glitzy, (kind of) gimmicky offense was better is more about hype than reasoning.
These systems may seem oppressing, but that’s kind of the point. They’re meant to smoke out weakness, stunt opposition, trick individuals into a higher order. With more available means to recruit players than ever, schools need systems to reload every year; this isn’t the late 80s or 90s when Miami had privilege to most of the South Florida recruits or USC and UCLA claimed all the Cali kids. Coaches organized before but not like this, not where a team can somehow not miss a beat on its third-string quarterback who then outplays the Heisman winner in the biggest game of the year. Individuals cease their importance in these systems, another dummy to be replaced whenever another falls. It works.
In light of recent comments, Jameis Winston must have three attitudes:
a) He doesn’t think it’s a big deal. He lacks a true sense of social perception, discounting how people might view a Heisman winner formerly accused of sexual assault and publicly reported “stealing” soda at a Burger King and held at gunpoint then handcuffed by a police officer because he and teammate/friend Chris Casher were shooting BB guns at squirrels in an area locally known as the “Rape Trail” and knowing he and his school is amidst an ongoing Title IX investigation into what happened regarding the accused sexual assault and how it was handled and that the Tallahassee Police Department is currently revising its official procedures regarding sexual assault cases because of a botched investigation involving him. Considering all that, maybe it’s best not to shout—in the most populated place on campus—where exactly to place a male’s genitalia to initiate consensual intercourse. Even if his friends might be shouting this popular Internet meme. But then again, because of that, and his penchant for dramatic flair, a quality people like quite much when it involves sports games, he doesn’t think shouting “FUCK HER RIGHT IN THE PUSSY!” is a big deal.
b) He is innocent, has always been innocent, and therefore behaves like an innocent man might. While it’s an avenue very few entertain exploring, it’s worth mentioning. If Winston is innocent, and sees a media that lifts him up then tears him down (and then does it again and again) and a national audience who believes every negative comment said about him is true without any questions asked, and legitimate and not-so-legitimate investigators digging up every piece of his past as evidence of accused wrongdoings, at what point would he stop trying to be a Good Person. What reasons does he have? Social perception? That’s been gone. Winning people over? Not rational from a guy as adamant and relentless as he is. Why would he worry? He knows if he wins game people will love him again soon enough.
c) He’s an asshole who doesn’t give a shit.
So that’s where we stand on it—one of those must be true and I’m not sure which is true and what I wish is true. Lots of people have a firm belief what’s true, but who knows at this point? Jameis Winston’s narrative and character is so convoluted and confounding that to discern fact and fiction might be near impossible. He might be a Good Person or a Bad Person, or maybe this is all just a 20-year-old kid doing dumb 20-year-old-kid stuff.
He might wish to be “normal” and try to act “normal,” but he must know he’s not. Although it’s unfair we spend more time postulating ethics and morality when it comes to 20-year-old football players than other pressing issues, this is also the life Winston chose; the one he wanted. It’s the one he sells to up-and-comers at the Manning Passing Academy, where he served as a youth instructor and informed kids its details.
“That’s the price we gotta pay because we quarterbacks, baby!” Winston said. “We get all the women, all the love, all the fun. We touch the ball every play. Us and the center. Every damn play. Don’t y’all love it?”
And to be fair, Winston isn’t the only student who would be prosecuted for shouting such a remark in the student union. Had the student body president or fraternity council member or student newspaper Editor-in-Chief done something similar and caught*, they (surely) would be prosecuted as intensely, albeit on a local level.
*Let’s not forget that all this was caused by less than ten students passing by tweeting about it and a sports tabloid blog picking it up. That sentence is (kind of) terrifying to me. Has our private sphere disappeared so completely that any action any time is liable for public reprimanding should it receive enough social noise? If Deadspin never picks up those tweets, nothing happens. Damn, if no students tweet it, it doesn’t (really) exist. In wake of all these sports scandals during the past six months, something has crystallized: Like Winston’s fame and profile, this technology has tangible consequences. Had this happened three years ago, Winston wouldn’t be suspended. What’s the slippery slope to where common citizens are convicted in the same manner?
One truth is certain, though: Florida State needed to do something. The university has supported and stood behind him throughout everything. All of it could be defended away, but this: it’s just kind of stupid and unnecessary for Winston to do. Also, know that this incident is the one that has FSU alumni and booster most upset at Winston. They’re “extremely disappointed.” Try to work out that logic.* If FSU didn’t take a stand here, especially considering the social noise it caused, they’d be sending a message they had no control over the situation and Winston can do whatever he pleases.
*Well, again, how the hell do you defend that to mocking co-workers and bosses and friends and even yourself? There’s no “but, maybe…” to cling on to for “self-defense” other than sophomoric-level humor.
…Not that their punishment is really a punishment. FSU showed it has power, but threatening the team’s overall chances of winning in its biggest game of the year so far? They wouldn’t quite do that. Everyone feels good about what they did, especially the audience it was intended for, and it probably helps Winston more than it hurts him.
Because now, when Winston enters in the second half, the game will be in some contention. Maybe FSU is up a score, or down a couple points, but a threat will exist. And Winston can recapture that glory, lead his team over that hump, demonstrate how fundamentally necessary he is to the whole system, remind people why they love him, all while showing true compassion and regret for his actions. He made a “mistake” and now he’s “learned.” Maybe that won’t happen, but that’s what my money’s on. At that point, whatever happens Saturday, we won’t have any better idea who Jameis Winston is, but we’ll know a bit more about ourselves.
Editor’s note: These views are strictly my own and don’t represent anyone else’s.
[a] millennial reservations 