Good morning. Please be seated.
We gather here today to mourn the loss of a great man. Pay tribute to one of the winningest cyber coaches in the history of college football video games. A virtual man whose name has become synonymous with victory and virtual championships. It is not possible to think of the name "Coach David Ward," without picturing the nearly 200 career victories, 16 BCS bowl victories, 18 conference championships and six BCS national championship trophies.
Records and accomplishments that will live on in our hearts and minds forever.
One can at least take solice that "Coach David Ward" went out on top. Coach Ward was riding a 24-game winning streak with the University of Notre Dame when Jordan, the author of this blog's dog, decided to chew up the author's memory card and send the skipper on a one-way journey to the great video game in the sky. We offer our condolences to the author of this blog, who spent a week crying like a baby and still cannot bring himself to face this harsh reality.
Coach Ward began his illustrious career as a wide-eyed rookie coach in the small town of Pocatello, Idaho. He took over a fledgling program at Idaho State University, and led the Bengals to a surprising 6-5 record in his first season. Several months later he received a phone call from the brand new "Eagle University" that changed his life forever. Coach Ward signed on with the Mustangs and the rest, as they say, is college football history. The Mustangs entered the Big 10 Conference and posted a 9-4 record in their inaugural season. Four seasons later, Coach Ward and the Mustangs were BCS National Champions. The Mustangs repeated as BCS champs the following season, before Coach Ward signed on for his first tour of duty with the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
The Irish tore through the college football world that fall, finishing 13-0 and capturing the school's first national championship in more than a decade.
Coach Ward then returned home to lead his beloved Boise State Broncos, posting five consecutive Western Athletic Conference championships and a berth in the BCS Sugar Bowl. In his sixth season at Boise State, the Broncos moved into the Pacific 10 Conference. The Broncos finished 13-0 and soundly defeated Oklahoma in the BCS championship game for the school's first national title.
Coach Ward went on to capture a national championship at the University of Michigan, before returning to Notre Dame for his second title with the Irish. Coach Ward and the Irish were top-ranked and heavily favored to secure back-to-back championships when fate, and Jordan, intervened.
We salute you "Coach David Ward" of NCAA Football 2008. You were a legend in the minds of many, particularly the author of this blog. Although your cyber life ended at the clutches of a spoiled little Yorkie, your legacy endures. My you rest in peace.
And may the Good Lord protect little Jordan.
Hide your memory cards, kiddies!
- Dave
