There’s no cheering in the press box, an edict announced via loudspeaker every week. But if they allowed it, here’s one set of hands that would be coming together vigorously for human decency and perspective.
They’d be coming together for Ronnie Bell. And they wouldn’t clap alone.
Michigan’s sophomore receiver became nationally known this week, for all the wrong reasons. He caught five passes for 82 yards in the Wolverines’ 28-21 loss at Penn State. The fact that he didn’t catch a sixth made him a target for lunatic hatred in the game’s aftermath.
Jim Harbaugh’s crew clawed back almost all the way from a 21-0 first-half deficit. Michigan loomed three yards away from Penn State’s goal line.
Senior quarterback Shea Patterson scrambled to buy time, then floated what appeared to be a perfectly thrown pass to what appeared to be a perfectly open Bell in the middle of the end zone. Never mind that Penn State defensive back Lamont Wade was pulling a Fast Eddie Brown (you kids, ask your parents) from behind, with a wad of Bell’s jersey in one hand and both mitts involved before the ball arrived.
