If you could have one back.
 

We have all heard this phrase before "I bet he wishes he could get that one back". It is the phrase we usually hear right after a bad play or a missed opportunity in sports.

If I had to answer this one personally it would be tough. Do I go with the back to back 9 routes that I droped as a sophmore, which would have been TD's? Well, maybe as a close second, but I think I would have to take back my one rushing carry as a senior. Nevermind why it was my only carry that season, or that I wasn't a TB. It was the rest of scenario that made it dramatically more significant. It was my last year of playing football. We were losing to our District Rival. It was my first opportunity to step on the field that season.

My name is called out from my head coach on the sideline. He tells me that I am going in at TB and gives me the play. In my head I realize that the play is designed for me to take it off Tackle Strong Side. I sprint the play into the huddle as if it is the most significant event in my life. The QB calls the play and the Huddle breaks. We get lined up and the QB goes through his cadence. During the next few seconds time slows down and the ball is snapped. I jap step left and begin running to the right eventually taking the handoff from the QB. In my mind I am thinking "stay with the play design". There is nothing there, but I stay with the play design. There is enough room to drive 4 trucks down the right side of the field, but I stay disciplined to the play design. I pound it right between the tackle and the TE. I am met at the line of scrimmage and surge foreward a little before being taken down for a gain of only one. As I am getting up I ask myself "why didn't I bounce it outside?" Apparently, my team mates and coaches were wondering the same thing. As I trot back to the sideline I can see the look of disgust in my coach's face. It was the first and last time that I would step onto the field or touch the football during the regular season that year. I blew it. If only I could have had that one back, maybe the remainder of my senior season would have been different.

If you could have one back, what would it be?

Re: If you could have one back.
 

Good thread.

I can't point out one specific moment, I just wish I would have stuck with playing sports all through high school. By 10th grade my desire to have my own car outweighed my desire to keep playing basketball and football and to this day I really regret not playing all the way up through varsity.

Instead I got a job and worked nights and weekends for my car. I guess I probably learned some valuable lessons in doing that too, but I wish I would have just realized that I had the rest of my life to work... and sports is something you have a small window of opportunity with.

It just sucks when you're young that sometimes it's really tough to appreciate things like that. I remember hating practice, now I would die to be able to just strap on the pads one more time and be able to hit someone.

Re: If you could have one back.
 

[quote=Mattyk72;375321]Good thread.

I can't point out one specific moment, I just wish I would have stuck with playing sports all through high school. By 10th grade my desire to have my own car outweighed my desire to keep playing basketball and football and to this day I really regret not playing all the way up through varsity.

Instead I got a job and worked nights and weekends for my car. I guess I probably learned some valuable lessons in doing that too, but I wish I would have just realized that I had the rest of my life to work... and sports is something you have a small window of opportunity with.

It just sucks when you're young that sometimes it's really tough to appreciate things like that. I remember hating practice, now I would die to be able to just strap on the pads one more time and be able to hit someone.[/quote]

I made a similar mistake my junior year. I quit before the season was over just to work at Chuckee Cheese. That was a boneheaded move as well.

Re: If you could have one back.
 

Great thread. Tough to answer. I've been awesome all my life...

Seriously though, I guess I'd like to have back that pitch I threw that hit the batter in the bottom of the 7th inning (HS games were only 7 innings at my school) with the bases loaded to walk in the winning run and knock us out of the playoffs.

What really sucked was we lost the game 1-0. What really really sucked was that was my last High School game. What really really really sucked was that I actually pitched a complete game no-hitter.

Re: If you could have one back.
 

[quote=SmootSmack;375333]Great thread. Tough to answer. I've been awesome all my life...

Seriously though, I guess I'd like to have back that pitch I threw that hit the batter in the bottom of the 7th inning (HS games were only 7 innings at my school) with the bases loaded to walk in the winning run and knock us out of the playoffs.

What really sucked was we lost the game 1-0. What really really sucked was that was my last High School game. What really really really sucked was that I actually pitched a complete game no-hitter.[/quote]
No Hitter! You hit the batter!

Re: If you could have one back.
 

this is easy for me. i had three different tryouts, one with the Phillie's, and two with Baltimore, before i graduated. i had the attitude that i was good enough. and really didn't do the things you needed to do to succeed. i wish i could have head a different mindset, to see if i could have made it

Re: If you could have one back.
 

I was a scratch golfer when I was a sophmore in high school. I was always paired up against the lowest handicap of the other team even though it was my first year playing on the team. I lead our team in scoring and most other catigories for the year and the coach gave some senior hack player of the year. I would not play for him the following year and golf fadded as girls and cars took over. I'l never know how far I could have gone if I just kept playing. I started playing again about 10 years ago but I'm no where close to what I was when younger.

Re: If you could have one back.
 

I wouldnt have played defensive tackle my senior year at 165 pounds...my season was over 4 practices in.

Re: If you could have one back.
 

I would have learned to spell my girlfriends' names.

For about a three month period, I was dating a girl named Kristie. I was also dating a girl named Christie. Though one may think this would make such deception easier, one would be mistaken. Anytime there was written correspondence, I was screwed - and since this was in a pre-cell phone era (1991, IIRC), I was a note writing fiend.

"Hey, you spelled my name wrong again..."

Re: If you could have one back.
 

I was a swimmer in high school and college. My junior year of high school we had a big meet, we were 7-0 and our opponent was 7-0, so this meet would essentially decide our league champion. There's not a lot of strategy in swimming, it's pretty much get on the blocks and see who can go faster. But I was swimming the 200 free, which is 8 laps for you non-swimming folk; it's not quite a sprint distance, and definitely not a long distance.

The meet was close, I was our #1 in the 200 free, and I knew my opponent because we had faced off as we came up through club swimming over the years. I knew that he was the kind of guy that tended to fade at the end of the race, so I decided to take a steady pace in the beginning, and try to toast him in the end. So he got out ahead of me by a body length or so, and I just cruised for the first half of the race. Then at the end I turned it on and I started to catch up, but he held on and won by about a foot. Thing is, I was barely tired. I had left a lot of effort in the pool. If I could have it back, I woulda gone balls out from the beginning.

But chalk that up to being 16. I didn't make that mistake again. And we ended up winning the meet anyway because we had Brendan Hansen on our team (yes, the current World Record holder in the 100 and 200 breaststroke), so it was all good. But I woulda liked to be the hero there!

Re: If you could have one back.
 

I have other take-backs. They relate to girls. Two of my college swim teammates actually. One really liked me, and I liked her a ton too, because she was hot. I liked hot. Imagine that.

I was also semi interested in another one, who was good looking, but not as hot as girl number one. We were all partying one night, and despite getting crazy good vibes from girl number one, in all my drunken wisdom I went home with girl number two. She was boring in bed. Plus annoying when sober. Girl number one then went on to start dating someone else the very next week, and stayed with him all the way until I had graduated.

If I could have that one back, I'd nail the hot one!

Re: If you could have one back.
 

[quote=SmootSmack;375333]Great thread. Tough to answer. I've been awesome all my life...

Seriously though, I guess I'd like to have back that pitch I threw that hit the batter in the bottom of the 7th inning (HS games were only 7 innings at my school) with the bases loaded to walk in the winning run and knock us out of the playoffs.

What really sucked was we lost the game 1-0. What really really sucked was that was my last High School game. What really really really sucked was that I actually pitched a complete game no-hitter.[/quote]

Was it a breaking ball that got away from you, a wild fastball, or did he just step into the damn thing?

Re: If you could have one back.
 

[QUOTE=angryssg;375459]Was it a breaking ball that got away from you, a wild fastball, or did he just step into the damn thing?[/QUOTE]

A slider that slid way too low and hit him on the ankle

Re: If you could have one back.
 

I played both ways (football... ) in jr high and began doing the same in high school. I was all district DE my sophomore year, and in the third game against Hardin Jefferson (district rival for some reason) I got put in at tight end. I ran a drag route and saw a corner closing as the ball was thrown, and instead of catching the ball and using my body to get leverage, or trying to make a move, I turned and knocked the shit out of the corner who was going to try to kill me...

the ball bounced off of my side as I was exploding into this short little kid knocking the snot out of him.

I'll never forget the many, "what the hell was that???" looks I got from everyone... even the other team's players... I don't know what came over me, but I believe it was the reason I didn't get to play offense, and I really wanted to. I just had a defender's mentality, I guess...

I played TE a few more times, but our QB only looked to me once more for a moderate gain (albeit I did catch the next ball even getting creamed) but mostly blocking for our excellent stable of running backs.

I can remember some pretty bad whiffed tackles and a few misreads where I'd tackle a tailback who didn't have a ball, or go for a QB that had just handed it off, letting a tailback by, but I always made enough great plays so that all was forgiven after a few screaming curses from coach Green...

Re: If you could have one back.
 

I would have taken my car and not my Harley the night I was hit and run and left for dead.
But, you can't get one back so I cope and move forward with my 1 step...at a time.

Good thread

Re: If you could have one back.
 

I wouldn't have changed my major my Freshman year.

I started out as a Poli-sci major, playing football and lacrosse and having a blast. I decided that it wasn't what I wanted to do, and just bailed out of the school. It would have been better to just suck it up, get a degree and move through it. I'm kind of just doing that right now...

To make matters worse, my last football practice at the school, I lit it up on the scout team. The head coach came over to look and see what was going on, and I just was catching everything. Ran awesome routes, made one handed catches, people were actually cheering. I was unstoppable, and the coach came up to me after practice and was like "I can't wait until next year, you've really developed into starting material". Then I blew it...

Oh well, No regrets. I can't have it back, and I did it for the right reasons. It just would have been fun to play four years of collegiate football and lacrosse.

P.S. This is such an Uncle Rico thread.

[IMG]http://www.dr4b.org/pictures/Baseball/Mariners/ND/unclerico.JPG[/IMG]

Re: If you could have one back.
 

You're just jealous because I've been chatting with hot chicks all day.

Re: If you could have one back.
 

[quote=Schneed10;375403]I have other take-backs. They relate to girls. Two of my college swim teammates actually. One really liked me, and I liked her a ton too, because she was hot. [B]I liked hot. Imagine that[/B].

I was also semi interested in another one, who was good looking, but not as hot as girl number one. We were all partying one night, and despite getting crazy good vibes from girl number one, in all my drunken wisdom I went home with girl number two. She was boring in bed. Plus annoying when sober. Girl number one then went on to start dating someone else the very next week, and stayed with him all the way until I had graduated.

If I could have that one back, I'd nail the hot one![/quote]

That's some quality signature material right there.

Just curious, why did you choose girl #2?

Re: If you could have one back.
 

[quote=Mattyk72;375514]That's some quality signature material right there.

Just curious, why did you choose girl #2?[/quote]

Because girl number one was playing coy and making me chase. Girl number two was basically throwing her vagina all up in my eye. I chose the easy road. Learned a hard lesson, nothing ventured nothing gained.

But now I'm married to a different lady, and happy with my situation. But I just wish I had nailed girl number one, if for no reason other than some quality mental material for when I'm feeding the geese!

Re: If you could have one back.
 

Hahahahaha

Re: If you could have one back.
 

LOL it feels like a Friday up in here doesn't it

Re: If you could have one back.
 

0-0 game in my senior year, 3rd Quarter, I'm the QB. Our offensive line is doing a horrible job, I've been beat to a pulp, and our running game has no yardage. Thanks to the D, we are still in it. We come out in an I formation, 2 receivers, the split side receiver is a junior who never played much. The play call is a quick slant "check with me", basically meaning that we are going to quick throw, but I can change the route at the line.

The safeties creep up towards the line of scrimmage, and instead of taking the deep shot with the fade ball, I decide to play it safe and check to a quick hitch to the junior on the short side of the field. I step away from the line, put my hands on my hips, look to both sides and go under center and take the snap.

They came with an all out blitz, which we don't pickup at all, so I hang in there and throw the hitch.

Said receiver runs a slant. The ball arrives on time, but only the corner is there. Pick six.

I got pulled out of the game and we lost 6-0, missing the playoffs by a game for the third time in as many years.

Re: If you could have one back.
 

[quote=Mattyk72;375611]LOL it feels like a Friday up in here doesn't it[/quote]

Haha, yes it does. I think it was Portis's costume, he put us all in a good mood. And now the 'Skins will beat down the shitbirds and our weekend will be complete.

How pissed am I that I'll be on the road during the game? Answer... very pissed. Good thing I have TIVO, I'm going to refrain from all things radio and internet, and head right for the DVR when I get back to the house. You won't see me on the site till later that evening. I'll be the guy cheering four hours later than everyone else when the 'Skins smash the Birds into oblivion.

OK I'm changing the subject in a cool thread. Back on topic, if I could have one back, it would be scheduling this roadtrip!

Re: If you could have one back.
 

I played free safety in a regional(MD,PA,VA) full contact football league a few years back. Our offense was terrible, but we had a coach who happened to be the defensive coordinator of the local state champion high school team, so our defense was pretty solid.

Anyway, we were playing a team from Virginia Beach that looked like an effing pro team. Late in the third quarter, they were up 3-0, and had the ball around midfield. They had been running a lot, so I was playing close to the line. The quarterback rolled to my side and was about to swing it to the tight end. I read the play perfectly and was parallel with the TE when the QB let the ball go. I was in perfect position for a pick six, with a lot of green in front of me, but I went for the killshot on the TE instead. I blasted the TE and broke up the play, but we ended up losing 3-0... :doh:

Re: If you could have one back.
 

Basically my current wife had me so smitten that instead of moving into my starting position at TE for my high school in football, I decided to skip practice and be an all-around douche.

Needless to say, I was demoted to this scrub about four inches shorter than me with stone hands. At least I'm married to the woman and she pleasures me more than the football team ever did. Still though, I'd much rather have started as the only receiving threat our team had (which isn't saying a lot for me) than banging my future wife.

I hope to God she doesn't read this.

Re: If you could have one back.
 

I would've applied myself better in college when I was younger. I was too busy chasin' skirts and didnt' show up to class as much as I should've. It took a little maturity on my part to finally see how important college was. I still like chasin' skirts though...lol!