PHOTO BY GABE WOLF Three Mainland Chinese married couples -- along with Bill and Kathy Horlacher, who serve with a Christian outreach to international students -- attended last Friday's Lampasas-Killeen varsity football game at Badger Field. The Chinese scholars are pictured along with cheerleader Katie Brooks, front left, and Gail Lowe. The back row includes Jim Lowe, Kathy Horlacher, Bill Horlacher and cheerleader MaKayla Valles. Barring a surprise win against Hutto tonight, the Lampasas Badgers will suffer the double distress of consecutive 0-10 football seasons. Coaches, players and fans have been battling discouragement or despair. Can anyone offer a fresh perspective? Perhaps we should listen to some wise men from the East, since we're approaching the time of year when they normally command our attention.

Indeed, Lampasas' loss to Killeen last week was played before some very intelligent folks from the East -- and I'm not talking about New Jersey. Three Mainland Chinese married couples rode from Austin to Badger Field last Friday along with my wife and me. The Chinese men are engaged in doctoral or post-doctoral studies at the University of Texas, and their wives also are scholars.

Given that none of these Chinese had ever seen a football game, some of their comments on the evening may seem amusing, but their fresh perspectives on the sport also might be helpful to long-suffering Badger fans.

Understanding the game

• Before the game, I was describing the rules to these Chinese scholars. One asked a question that had never crossed my mind: "If the Badger offense makes 10 yards in just one or two plays, can they add the remaining downs to their next four -- like a 'rollover'?" Not a bad idea!

• The Chinese noticed the good judgment of a Lampasas kickoff returner who caught a kick in the end zone and then knelt to give his team possession at the 20-yard line. But they wondered why he didn't do the same thing on another kick that he caught on his own five-yard line.

• One of the Chinese women didn't understand the buzz in the crowd that followed an interception. My wife's answer got to the heart of the matter: "The blue team threw the ball, but the white team caught it."

The culture of football

• One of the men, a Ph.D. student in computer science, was impressed by the spectators. "The crowd surrounding the game is surprising," he said. "This is only a high school game, and the home team did not perform well in the whole season. So I expected only a handful of people will be there who are all relatives and friends of the players. But I saw a lot of 'irrelevant' people came to support the kids. This never happens in my home country," he said.

• "It is generally believed that we Chinese have a collectivist culture, while Americans are more individualistic," said the same man. "But in football, some players on the field may not even touch the ball during the whole game. They sacrifice themselves to support one or two teammates who will get all the cheers. In comparison, we Chi- nese are supposed to be collectivist, but in sports we are good at only individual games like diving or gymnastics. So, thanks to football, I begin to know the [cooperative] side of American culture, which I assumed rarely existed."

• His wife focused on the female side of "Friday Night Lights." "I think the cheerleaders are fabulous," she said. "They kept dancing and cheering all the time, and sometimes I feel they are the focus. For cheerleaders, it is really great to have such a platform to show their energy and emotions."

Encouragement to the Badgers

• The Chinese couples all seemed to sense that football offers Lampasas athletes an opportunity that goes beyond wins and losses. Said one: "Keep playing even if you know you will lose, for that is the greatest courage for any man."

• "Thank you for giving us such a wonderful night!" said one of the Chinese women. "We know that you have tried your best! Never give up. It is most important for your parents and for us to see that you enjoy the process of training and playing, and that you grow up to be strong and persistent."

• And then, of course, there's always a Chinese proverb for every situation. Not surprisingly, one of the doctoral students quoted a traditional Chinese saying that seems perfect for this year's Badgers: "Being a hero does not depend on success."

Bill Horlacher and his wife, Kathy, serve with Bridges International, a Christian outreach to international students. They are longtime friends of Dispatch Record publishers Jim and Gail Lowe.