Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 11 No. 2 | October 2018

inside.hokiesports.com 11 goal for the week was not to assure him that we all still stood behind him and his Hokies, but rather a grander vision of showing him that the support here never wavers. For any reason. He has earned it in the way he treats people, including me. I was proud of myself for wanting to react that way, but later in the day, I realized I had been here long enough to know that the effort wasn’t necessary. We say this is a special place for a reason. It’s the people. It’s the Hokies. By the time I sat at the Tech Talk Live! desk on Monday night waiting for Fuente and for the show to start, I felt confident in my processing of the weekend. It was obviously a stunning loss, and it rocked everybody. I hadn’t prepared for this outcome, but I took pride in my reaction to it. In the two hours before the show starts, I usually interact with the folks who attend. As I did that, I could tell they were kindred in their spirit of the night. It was time to move forward, behind our team. They were ready to get things back to normal. I was, too, so in those minutes that I sat there waiting, I became optimistic for the cathartic ability of the evening. And then, as they have a way of doing, the Hokies infinitely exceeded my expectations. Fuente walked into the theater from the side, as he does every week. I don’t think he quite knew what to expect from the Hokies in the room. He later joked to me that he thought about bringing plastic to put in front of the desk in case people threw food at him. They didn’t. Far from it. Instead, they applauded. For a long while. Not the boisterous eruption after a Tech touchdown, but rather a warm applause meant to reassure. It said, “We weren’t prepared for that outcome either, but you’re our coach, this is our team, and we’re behind you.” It gave me chills. It made me proud to be a part of that group, and yes, two days after a very dark and disorienting night in Norfolk, never prouder to be a Hokie. So I’ll repeat what Fuente said after the applause finally dissipated—“Thank you.” And I’ll add what I always do to end broadcasts—“For being Hokies.” That happens regardless of the outcome, including the bounce-back win over Duke. It always will. We know linen and uniform rental because we invented it. Services include: - NSF-Certified Napkins and Tablecloths - Employee Workwear - Healthcare Garments and Scrubs - Managed First Aid Services - Washroom and Floorcare Products Alsco.com Brandon Divers Alsco Alexandria 703-751-5785 Nick Dyson Alsco Roanoke 540-342-3158 Tech football coach Justin Fuente handled the adversity that came with the ODU loss and has the Hokies in the thick of the Coastal Division race.