Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen may be better fitted to play Santa, but the Terrapins boss turned into the Grinch on Tuesday.
Friedgen announced the Terps will leave Dec. 22 for the Champs Sports Bowl instead of Christmas. Mothers of players who thought their sons would be home for the holiday surely weren’t happy. Many parents booked post-Christmas flights for the Dec. 29 game that can’t be changed. That means families are separated and players are on their own for Christmas.
That’s how much winning a bowl game means to Friedgen. At least he’s giving them off practice on Christmas. Happy holidays, boys.
Missing home and hearth isn’t that upsetting to the Terps, though. It’s a fair trade after staying home the last two offseasons following 5-6 marks. Maryland now faces Purdue in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla., one of the countless bowls that really mean nothing but a chance for some fun in the sun.
“I can’t be home for Christmas,” Terps quarterback Sam Hollenbach said, “but it’s a good problem to have. [The bowl] brings a sense of pride back to the program.”
Players voted for a $350 gift card over XBox 360s or plasma TVs that bowls provide. There’s also another $675 in mileage money that will cause teammates to carpool for the 16-hour trip. Gotta make money somehow in college.
It’s one big payoff for an unexpected 8-4 season that ended two straight losses from reaching the ACC Championship. The Terps were close to a miracle run. Then again, Maryland beat Clemson and Miami by one point. Karma evened out in the end. The Terps were a good team. Let’s leave it at that.
“We really had a very good season,” Friedgen said. “We were close to having something special. Hopefully, we learned how to win again.”
It’s a frantic time for the Terps after taking a short break following the Nov. 25 finale. Final exams start next week with seven seniors graduating before the bowl and two more in January. They’re one game away from becoming alumni and ending it in the shadow of the mouse seems a sweet way to spend their final days before entering the adult world.
Hollenbach couldn’t remember his one previous trip to Disney World in the fifth grade and wonders if he can still fit into the rides. Indeed, Hollenbach sharing a log plume with 370-pound guard Jared Gaither might really make it a thrill ride. Remember, it’s a small world after all.
Hollenbach ditched his old Gator Bowl hat from 2003 to await a Champs Sports cap. The Terps seniors no longer need to rely on postseason memories from freshman year. They exit knowing the program has been restored with its fourth bowl trip in six seasons.
“If we’re 4-8 or 5-7, it would be devastating,” Hollenbach said. “We would be sitting at home, wondering how did that happen?”
Fortunately, Hollenbach and his teammates are simply wondering — do they get to open Christmas presents early?
Rick Snider has covered local sports for 28 years. Contact him at [email protected].
