Carroll County Times
Sports

Win acts as tribute to Flynn
By Bob Blubaugh, Times Staff sports editor Sunday, January 21, 2007
KYLE NOSAL/STAFF PHOTO
The late McDaniel men’s basketball head coach Bob Flynn’s red towel sits on the back of his empty chair during Saturday’s home game against Gettysburg.
Having just watched Ryan Brandenburg make a game-clinching steal, McDaniel interim men’s basketball coach Kevin Selby pointed skyward, a nod to a departed friend.

Junior Brett Foelber, on the bench after fouling out following an inspired performance, leaped up and held aloft a shirt that read “Flynn’s Friends” on the front and “Keeping the Vision Alive” on the back.

Emotional cheering from a large crowd filled the Gill Center.

Ironically, winning was only a secondary concern on Saturday, not nearly as important as paying a fitting tribute to coach Bob Flynn, who died of a heart attack Jan. 12 just hours after running a practice, leaving behind a wife, three kids, and a team that believed in him so much.

The Green Terror paid tribute to Flynn in the best way they knew how.

“We played together as a team more than I’ve seen us play all year and that’s what coach Flynn would’ve wanted,” said Brandenburg, who scored 23 points in the 71-65 win over Gettysburg.

Foelber, who also played high school ball for Flynn at Cardinal Gibbons, came out for the pregame shootaround with a red towel wrapped around his neck, an homage to the red towel Flynn never was without during games.

The first seat on the McDaniel bench remained empty throughout the game, save for the red towel Foelber draped over it.

And the crowd observed a moment of silence that began long before the P.A. announcer called for it.

Even if they didn’t necessarily want to be there, their emotions on display in front of more than 600 fans, the Green Terror had to go out and play. Selby solicited advice from other coaches about how to get a heartsick team through a game two days after attending a funeral.

“They all said, you have to be the rock. You can not show the emotion. They’re going to follow your lead,” Selby said. “That’s what I tried to do.”

He accomplished his goal. He made it through 40 minutes of basketball without losing it.

But he hurried across the court as soon as the game ended, tears filling his eyes, seeking out Flynn’s widow, Tina, for a long embrace.

Every player eventually got in line to share a few moments with the Flynn family, having just honored their ex-coach by winning.

“I was so happy to give that to Mrs. Flynn, to his wife and his kids,” senior forward Jemar Daniel said.

Foelber said the team obviously missed its coach during practice all week, but Flynn’s absence was most apparent once the game started, when his singular voice could not be heard.

“It was very tough,” he said.

It will be tough for a long, long time. But, like the shirt said, they want to keep Flynn’s vision — a relevant, winning team at McDaniel — alive.

Saturday was a remarkable start. Of course, they didn’t feel they were alone.

“Coach Flynn was beside us the whole game,” Selby said. “He was in that chair. He was with us. And they made him proud. They played the way he taught them to play basketball.”

Bob Blubaugh is the Times’ sports editor. His column appears every Sunday. Reach him at 410-857-7895 or bblubaugh@lcniofmd.com.