You know, sadness is for suckers. Anger? No. Anger is an energy, anger is a gift, and anger properly applied can do all kinds of things, like getting you into a fight with a stranger and landing you in jail, or getting you to hijack a plane at a small residential airport, start the engines, and drive it around the interstate without taking off at 125 miles an hour. Both interesting and potentially educational experiences, as well as felonies, sure–but at least they get you out of the house.

And when Papa Chaos comes at your door, you know what Kentucky coach Rich Brooks does? He tells him to fuck off, because he thinks it’s bullshit. In looking for reasons to smile today as a football fan, we looked high and low.

And yet only two things brought us out of the funk of a snapped 11 game win streak:

1. A 12 year old threw us a touchdown pass in a pickup game on Saturday. Pressure in his face, all of five feet tall, through two defenders and into our hands. Just a blistering, perfect spiral we didn’t even have to clench–the friction of the ball spinning stuck it to the palms and fingers. It was flawless and ineffably beautiful. He had a shit-eating grin on his face that exceeded valuation in currency or commodity.

2. This picture of Rich Brooks giving blood, because he really does look like he thinks this is all bullshit. We know he’s fond of the word bullshit, but just take a look at that face and tell us he thinks there’s five things in this world that aren’t bullshit besides scotch, kickass football, Mrs. Brooks, The Wild Bunch, and a nice leather armchair. Because he doesn’t, asshole. There’s bullshit all around him, especially this doctor bullshit he’s going through at the moment, and then the press conference bullshit, and then the bullshit dinner he’s got to talk at when they give him some bullshit rubber chicken and ask him to bullshit about kickass football when he could be drinking scotch, watching The Wild Bunch, and checking out Mrs. Brooks’ gams as he sits in his plush leather armchair.

And today, that’s all the inspiration we need.

Rich Brooks, when reached for this article, thought it was complete bullshit.–ed