Liberty University had its doors blown off by Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl on Monday. The Flames got on the board first, but they went on to lose by 39 points behind a 28-point second quarter from the Ducks.
Although Jamey Chadwell’s college football team ran the table during the regular season and won the Conference USA during an impressive first year as head coach, it was simply out-matched in Phoenix. The talent gap was too great to overcome.
Fortunately, there were not many Liberty fans there to witness the loss in person.
Unfortunately, the team could not get it done for the fans who did make the trip from Virginia. The Flames also failed to get it done for their mascot, Sparky the Eagle.
Liberty, a private university of approximately 97,000 students (mostly online), calls itself the ‘Flames’ because the light of the Lord is central to their ethos. It is an evangelical Christian school that was founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. as part of the Southern Baptist Conservatives of Virginia.
All of this goes to say that Liberty is a very religious school. Everything must be done for the glory of God.
UPDATE: Sparky the Eagle responded to this article and had fun in calling me out. Liberty’s mascot was NOT making a violent gesture!
Sparky the Eagle’s pregame gesture appeared to be the perfect example. The Flames’ on-field mascot made a gesture that looked like he was encouraging his team to slit the throat of its opponent and then followed it up by pointing a finger to the sky.
That was not the case. Sparky proceeded to put me in a body bag.
It sure looked like the mascot said that Liberty must kill its opponent to honor the Lord!
The reality of Sparky’s gesture is that it is not what it appears. It apparently stands for ‘Go L-U’ and is not intended to be violent at all. Not even a little bit!
But let’s be real here… the gesture looks different when sped up! Touché Sparky…!
Hand up—— I will take an “L” on this one. You can even throw in a “Go” and a “U” if you want!
AS REQUESTED:
