[AdsFanatic]

I wanted to post something last night but ended up sleeping on it and spent this morning going over my thoughts. I'm not sure about you, but my best ideas usually come over bacon, eggs, and plenty of coffee.

What occupied most of my time was figuring out how I could describe this feeling. I'll give a little bit of background first. To say I grew up and lived most of my life as an Admiral fan is an understatement. I've travelled many a mile to cheer on the Admirals. I've gone to so many home games at Admiral Stadium, it's hard to keep count. Somewhere out there are photos of me as a tiny child at Admiral stadium. When I think back to the time I was a student at DHS, my favorite memories revolve around going to Admiral games after school with my dad. Away games were the best; cherry cokes for the road, a CCR album, and whatever good local eats we could find (and I count the Sanders Cafe in Corbin as local!). As I got older, I kept going and cheering whenever I could, and when I couldn't be there in person, I listened to the radio. 

So, we return to the question: how do I describe what I feel? Peace. As I listened to the radio broadcast of last night's game, I couldn't help but laugh at certain parts. Not necessarily at the game, but at the idea that I've given so much thought recently to a team that doesn't exist anymore. Danville might improve, Danville might even become good, but they won't be my Admirals. They won't be the same program that I listened to proudly from afar, nor would they be the program my dad and I spent so much time cheering on, nor would they be the program I saw as a kid, surrounded by the love of my family. Those are memories now, and I am at peace with that.

So, this will be my final post regarding the Danville Admirals. If they play a team I am interested in I might make a brief prediction, but beyond that I have nothing more to say. I want to take the time to thank AdsFanatic for continuing to cover Admiral games this season. I appreciated your observations throughout this year and enjoyed reading them each week. For one last time: Go Admirals, and feel the weight of the anchor!

I definitely feel a lot of what you feel. I think last night's blowout is not just indicative of the football teams but even the academic quality of each school right now as Beechwood is top 10 and Danville is bottom 10. The whole district in Danville has lost its way and the football program is part of a slow erosion of standards and quality there over the better part of the last decade. Adults screwed this up for kids and now it is the job of adults to fix it.

I hope there is a lot of long-term reflection going on in Danville over the next few months about how they can get back on track. If so, maybe they can bring longtime fans like you and I back into the fold, as well as community partners that have also given up on the system.