Who Let the Dogs Out?!?!?!

Tonight, I went to Wal-Mart with my daughter in tow. And because my 5-year-old bundle of energy and joy was with me, she dedicated what channel my XM Radio got turned to. (What can I say, I'm a softee.)

On the way home, a song came on, one that I hadn't heard in a couple years. But yet, it was one that brought back a lot of memories.

Blaring through my speakers was "Who Let the Dogs Out" by the Baha Men.

Like many, when the song came out, I liked it. It was fun, catchy and it fit Union. After all, we are the Bulldogs.

Well, during the 2000 season - the year the Baha Men produced their version of the song, the song got played at Burch/Nau Field. Over and over and over.

We played it when the team ran out on the field before the game. We played it when the team scored. We played it when the team into to the lockerroom at halftime and when they came back out for the second half.

And when Union won, it got played REPEATEDLY.

"Who Let the Dogs Out" was played on average 10-15 times per game.

Needlesstosay, many of us got sick of the song and it didn't get played again anywhere on campus for a long time following the 2000 football season.

But hearing the song again tonight brought back some fun memories, and some painful ones as well.

You see, it was five games into the 2000 season that Union won a game. That win was the first win in THREE YEARS, snapping a 25-game losing streak.

After beating Lambuth 14-10 to end the 1997 season, Union went 0-10 in 1998, 0-11 in 1999 and started the 2000 season 0-4 before enjoying a three-game win streak.

I have always enjoyed Union football. Saturday's at Burch/Nau Field are a blast for me, win or lose. (Obviously, it's always more fun when the Bulldogs win.)

Yet, there's always been something keeping the Bulldogs from getting over the hump.
I can't tell you how many games I've seen Union battle, go toe-to-toe against the opponent, only to come up just short of getting the victory.

One of the most gut-wrenching losses I've witnessed in Union history (that's encompassing all sports) came on Homecoming 2006 when the Bulldogs fell to Frostburg State 7-3. It was an ugly game. Neither offense get anything generated for the field was an absolute muddy mess. (This was the final season of Union having a natural grass surface.)

With less than three minutes remaining, Union was up 3-0. Forced to punt, the feeling was good because the Bulldog defense had held strong ALL DAY. However, the punt was blocked and returned for a touchdown, sealing Union's fate.

I mention all this to just give you a sense of how fun, how amazing, how exciting this football season has been and continues to be.

The Bulldogs are 9-2!!! NINE WINS and just TWO LOSSES!!!

Since 1995, Union had not won more than four games in a season. In the three seasons prior to this year, the Bulldogs had just 11 wins.

And now Union is heading into the NAIA Playoffs!!!

How great is that?

Union has been blessed, especially in the past five, six years with some amazing teams. Women's basketball has been to three national championship tournaments. The baseball team went to the NAIA World Series and placed 5th. Women's soccer advanced to the Final Four in 2002, the same year the mountain biking team won the NCCA National Championship. The men's and women's tennis teams both have made back-to-back trips to the NAIA Sweet Sixteen, and the softball and volleyball teams each have won their first conference championships in program history.

Every program has enjoyed some sort of success this decade. All but football.

Until now.

So, tonight, as my daughter danced in the backseat to sounds of "Who Let the Dogs Out", I enjoyed the journey and the lengths the Bulldog football program has come over the years.

And the ride isn't over.