The happy couple you see here are Tyler Loop, placekicker for the Baltimore Ravens, and his fiancée, Julia Otto. College sweethearts, they just got engaged last spring, at a time when things looked rosy. Tyler was drafted by the Ravens and just finished his rookie season with the gridiron equivalent of a spectacular swan dive into an empty pool.
Tyler missed a 44-yard field goal as time ran out in the game against Pittsburgh Sunday night, a field goal that would have given the team a win in their final game of the year and sent them to the playoffs. But when his kick went wide, the Ravens' hopes of playing in the playoffs and beyond sailed away with that errant ball into the darkness of a Steel City night.
These things happen, yes they do. Star running back Derrick Henry says he told Tyler to move on, because "the sun is gonna come up tomorrow." Others on the team were supportive as well.
Here's no surprise: fans went on the couple's Instagram to leave hateful messages almost the minute the game ended. "Hope you get divorced," wrote one unkind soul. And that was the way some people chose to express their disappointment in the loss. Dozens of other messages from people who can't kick so much as a nasty cigarette habit clogged the internet, and while there were some supportive thoughts, it was very sad to see people tear into the young man this way.
Sad, but no surprise. It would be great if we could all look at sports as fun and a nice form of recreation, but some people get way too caught up in it. They're the ones who say, "We won!" when their total contribution was cheering from the couch or the seats. And of course, they're the ones who will tell you they know more about how to kick a field goal than Tyler Loop, because they almost booted one in 8th grade.
Right now, we don't know what the future holds for Loop or anyone else connected to the Ravens. But it would be great if we would count on all of the fans to pull for all of the team all of the time.
1 comment:
I won’t write too much because I’m not sure if my comment will be published because I probably don’t know how to do it. I wasn’t ready. I wish I would’ve put my guard up more for that football game because I usually have my guard up for some stupid reason I did not have my guard up and it did feel like a kick in the head For several days. Period but I think I am handing in my cleats. I am through with football I can’t do it. I don’t care with Buffalo wins anymore. I just can’t do it anymore. I will not be watching the playoffs. I just didn’t like the way I felt. But I took it out of myself. I didn’t take it out on loop. I think some of the people can’t handle being depressed so they have to take it out on somebody else. But this is it for me. I don’t live in Minnesota anymore, so I always want my friends to have a little bit of pride in Baltimore cause they love one of them loves the ravens. And they actually think that the ravens were a better team than the Steelers in that very game. Just poorly coached. But it was a life-changing moment for me. And it wasn’t just a kick. It was the whole Kit N Caboodle.
Goodbye Ravens.
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