Sports Column: Attitude change is only thing that can lead to win

To be honest, I expected to see a different A&M-Commerce football team at Saturday's homecoming game. During the drive to the stadium I had put together this formula in my head that added up to a new attitude, something along the lines of: tired of losing + homecoming + motivational speech from former Dallas Cowboy = WIN.

Unfortunately, once the game began, it was the same old crap. It was so bad Saturday, even Head Coach Guy Morriss could not stand to watch it anymore, passing up a chance to score before halftime, and letting the clock run out instead.

I guess I psyched myself out. I mean, I had thought of all the reasons why the Lions could have won and had pretty much convinced myself with the "You just can't lose your homecoming game" speech. The Lions had it all working in their favor (the first time I've written those words this season), they were playing in front of a homecoming crowd, against a team that had lost four straight, and had just received a huge motivational boost from former Dallas Cowboy Russell Maryland, who happens to know a little something about winning (National Championship at U of Miami in '87 and ‘89 and three Super Bowls with Cowboys, XXVII, XXVIII, XXX).

In my head, it was a recipe for victory. Too bad it did not turn out that way.

Instead, that homecoming crowd I mentioned? Well, they were never really into the game anyway and a large portion of the home support left after halftime. I mean, it's beginning to look like Greenville High School football games out there, where the best show on the field is at halftime, and all of the "band fans" leave immediately after.

That team that entered with a four-game losing streak? Well, they actually played with a chip on their shoulder, which is what I expected the Lions to do. They played like it was their homecoming, not ours, and dominated from start to finish.

Most disappointing of all, the extra boost from having a Super Bowl-winner on campus must have worn off pretty quick. I saw no attitude, no emotion (except the hanging head of quarterback J.J. Harp after yet another poorly thrown ball), nobody getting teammates fired up.

The lack of emotion, paired with Morriss' "let's just get the hell out of here" strategy made one thing very clear to me – the losing attitude is INFECTIOUS. The funny thing is, I heard on three separate occasions Saturday the very same statement, "This team will not win until the attitude changes."

My only question is, will Morriss … or better yet, will Athletic Director Carlton Cooper do anything about it?