Aug 24 / Rob

Throwback Thursday: When Coach Danny Rocco Gave the Game Ball to Danny Rocco

unknownSports are really not that important. We know it’s kind of silly to get too emotionally involved in games the way we do. And we admit that there’s something almost crazy about the way we cast our favorite players as heroes and the complete strangers who happen to be rivals, as villains. But sometimes folks just make it too easy. Danny Rocco, the head coach of the Delaware Blue Hens, makes it really easy.

Rocco is a good coach. Let’s get that part out of the way. But man, he is also a heel. While serving as the head coach at Liberty, he talked an awful big game for a guy who never lead the Flames to a single playoff appearance. Once he took over as head coach at Richmond, he was um. really quite University of Richmond-y. (ed. note: We trust that if you’re reading this blog, you understand that is definitely meant as an insult.) If you need an example of what we mean, let us tell you a little story. It’s about the time that Head Coach Danny Rocco gave a game ball to Head Coach Danny Rocco. Seriously. He did that. After a game against his old team the Liberty Flames, Rocco awarded himself the damn game ball. And then he brought said ball, to the post game press conference.

Look, we don’t know what happened inside the UR RU locker room during the 2013 season. But the head coach giving himself the game ball is weird. Very weird. Particularly after his Top 20 team, which was coming off a loss to something called Gardner Webb, beat an unranked Liberty squad. Michael Strauss threw for 210 yards and TD in that game. Jacobi Green rushed for 184 yards and 3 TDs. Ben Edwards eclipsed the 100 yard mark receiving. But no, Rocco said Rocco got it done.

Good gracious. Delaware has been irrelevant for a few years now. So much so that it was tough to build up any animosity toward the Blue Chickens. They were easy to hate (sports hate) when they were winning and being coached by K.C. Keeler, the man with the most punchable face in the college football. And now that Rocco is in charge, it’s like old times again. Thanks to Rocco, the Blue Hens are easy to root against again. Even if the Dukes will stomp ’em by 4 touchdowns.

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