Boston College 2012-13 Year in Review, Part I: Football
By Joe Micik
Jeremy Brevard-US PRESSWIRE
So ends another season of sports at Boston College. This week, we will take a journey through the year that was and set the stage for the year that is to come.
Especially keeping in mind that the first part in the year-in-review series is Boston College Eagles football, two themes to keep in mind are change and growth. It was not until after the final snap that the team saw either one, but 2012-13 was very eventful in a variety of different ways.
Preseason
Before the 2012 Eagles football season began, only those wearing the most deeply-tinted maroon and gold shades harbored any sort of optimism. Even after Gene DeFilippo announced his upcoming retirement on August 17, short-term hope for a turnaround in the team’s fortunes was very limited amongst the fans.
The events of Friday, August 17 cannot be overlooked, however. DeFilippo’s departure from Boston College gave those who had any investment in the football program their first sense in years that a window might be opening. Under Frank Spaziani, Boston College football became deathly stale, disrespected, and most unfortunately, a losing program. What made matters worse was the fact that DeFilippo constantly went to bat for his head coach, even to the extent that he publicly dismissed the concerns of the fans and donors.
On August 16, 2012, the prevailing sentiment was that Spaziani might survive even another bad season given the support of the athletic director. On August 17, there was a real sense that there might be change coming to the football team soon, even if the new season was not going to be a good one.
Spaziani’s days were indeed numbered.