One Last Egotistical Act

At the end of his post-game press conference following yesterday's 42-13 shallacking at the hands of our arch-rival Virginia Tech, Al Groh was asked if he thought that game was his last as Virginia's head coach. His response was to reach into his pocket, pull out a piece of paper, and read the following poem:

When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Just go to the mirror and look at yourself
And see what that man has to say.

For it isn’t your father or mother or wife
Whose judgment upon you must pass.
The fellow whose verdict counts most in you life
Is the one staring back from the glass.

You may be like Jack Horner and chisel a plum
And think you’re a wonderful guy.
But the man in the glass says you’re only a bum
If you can’t look him straight in the eye.

He’s the fellow to please-never mind all the rest,
For he’s with you clear to the end.
And you’ve passed your most dangerous, difficult test
If the man in the glass is your friend.

You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years
And get pats on the back as you pass.
But your final reward will be heartache and tears
If you’ve cheated the man in the glass.

Then Groh explained his recitation with this:

When I visited the guy in the glass, I saw that he's a guy of commitment, of integrity, of dependability and accountability. He's loyal. His spirit is indomitable. And he is caring and loving. I'm sure I will always call the guy in the glass a friend.

I get what he's saying. He's not ashamed of himself. In fact, he's proud of the work he's done, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

I just want to ask one quick question... At what point does staring in the mirror denote vanity? And at what point can a man's immense ego crush a football program into oblivion?

42-13, Virginia Tech.

Hey Al Groh, thanks for running our program into the ground. I wish you had just skipped the post-game presser, instead of humiliating yourself with that poem.