Recapitulation of this weekend’s football endeavor by CML

Saturday began in New Haven with frigid wind and driving rain, and ended for the Lions with an even greater dreariness.  For me, visiting the city from which I was rejected last April evoked mixed feelings: it was certainly consoling to be able to juxtapose a wasteland of seedy car dealerships and strip-malls against the orgy of opportunities New York offers.  On the other hand, the historic Yale Bowl, built to seat crowds of 60,000 in an era where Ivy League football was sort of a big deal, is truly an awesome venue.

Against this dramatic tempest of capricious gales, unremitting precipitation, endless expanses of empty bleachers, and a smattering of fans dressed like cartoon waterfowl, this afternoon’s contest commenced. The first fifteen minutes were characterized by inconsistent offense, decent defense, and no score for both sides.  But early into the second quarter, something as pleasant and improbable as a ray of light puncturing the oppressively gray cloud cover occurred: the Lions converted a field goal for the game’s first points.  Meanwhile, Yale’s fabled offense flagellated itself with holding penalties.  For once, it didn’t seem unreasonable that, against an Ivy opponent, Columbia might take a lead – however miniscule it was – into the half.

 

But the fates, as they invariably do, decided against a win for the Lions.  Ironically, it was a blown penalty call that resurrected the Elis: late in the second quarter, Columbia’s defense seemed poised to force another punt.  On third down, the Yale quarterback threw a bad pass, but the Lions were unjustly slapped with a specious pass-interference call.  As it is wont to do a few times per game, the defense – and the lead it inherited – dissolved. Yale went up 7-3, and lo, the insubstantial pageant of a field goal faded in importance, and it was just another futile conference Columbia football game. 

In the final two acts, the ball was relentlessly pounded into Columbia’s undersized defensive line, the Elis notched two more touchdowns, the Lions’ offense gave up an interception, and not a rock of the lead that Columbia had so ephemerally enjoyed remained. But the rain had stopped, and the wind abated.  No longer stranded on the barren rock of New Haven, the Lions and their supporters returned home.