Football is, no doubt, the most popular sport in America. I love writing about it. That’s why I do it a lot. There is nothing like the crisp fall air settling in over a nighttime football game that you’re enjoying with all those close to you. There are so many story lines in a football game, so many different things that can happen to determine the outcome of a game.

But, it doesn’t really matter if you’re cheering for the Buffs or for whichever team they are playing, it’s about the sport and supporting those who play it. When there’s an injury, it’s a tragedy for everybody because you never want to see players get hurt.

Early Saturday morning, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s championship game between Virginia State and Winston-Salem State (who beat WT in last year’s national semifinal) was canceled. The game had major Division II playoff implications for Virginia State. Winston-Salem and VSU are both 9-1 this season but the Trojans of Virginia State are having a magical season and their playoff status is up in the air without the game.

The reason for the cancellation was at least one Virginia State player (maybe more) viciously assaulted Winston-Salem quarterback Rudy Johnson during a bathroom brawl at a luncheon for the two teams on Friday. Lamont Britt, a running back for the Trojans, was arrested and charged for misdemeanor assault inflicting serious injuries.

The luncheon started as a celebration of both of these teams and their accomplishments on the field. It ended with an arrest and a quarterback with a black eye.

There are a couple of lessons that can be applied here. First, Winston-Salem State, in recent memory at least, is a successful program. But Virginia State is not. So magical seasons, as amazing as they can be (trust me, we were part of one last season and I hope to be a part of one again), there is much for the players to learn. All players must learn how to win and how to handle winning. Punching the other quarterback isn’t how to handle winning.

This assault is a perfect demonstration of one team getting ahead of themselves and believing they are “God’s gift to football.”

Second, like I mentioned before, I love football. And this event saddens me to know that this is the state of this game in some parts of the country. This incident is only on the Division II level and the championship game is in no way determining the national championship, but the story has stolen national headlines. I’m worried about the effect this will have on those boys who are growing up and developing a love for football.

I’m also worried that this is the state of a mentality. The player(s) who beat up Johnson just for being on the other team proved one thing to me: they are cowards. Yet, this story could be seen by those who are younger and more impressionable than I as what you do when someone you may not like is in same room. That’s troublesome.

But, I would love to be proven wrong.