CHAPTER 45

SOMETHING STINKS

Beth was still frisky but slowing down just a bit. She was working so hard and still trying to learn about Anni’s job; it was something new every day. Beth had put the 850,000 dollars from Caleb back in the safe as soon as she got back to work, and she felt comfort with that, but there were parts of her job she detested, the primary one being that safe in her office and sliding money under the table to the football players; she knew it is wrong and needed to be stopped. She had read every page of the NCAA rules and regulations books so many times now she had it memorized. CAU was in non-compliance on a bunch of it. Beth knew that at some point there was going to be a reckoning, and she wanted no part of it. She wanted to head it off before it came. For a 22-year-old girl who had only had this job for a month, she was pretty gutsy. She would not compromise her principles for anyone.

She went to John Westinghouse, the athletic director, to talk about everything she had learned. John sat there quietly and listened to her. John already knew everything that she was saying, and on top of all of it, he had second thoughts about how the football program was being run by Coach Richert. He knew all the rules and also knew that trying to stop this beast of a program was going to be tough. The majority of fans don’t care how you win, just win. Things had been this way so long, and so many other football programs did the same thing, that he wasn’t sure if he could stop it.

“I agree with all your concerns, but right now isn’t the time to put an end to it. Let me talk with Coach Richert after the National Championship game and see what we can do to get this under control.”

“John, there is a right way and a wrong to do things, and we are wrong,” Beth said, putting a hand down on the table firmly. “I would like us to run a clean program that nobody would be ashamed to be a part of, and right now I am very uncomfortable with how we do things. It’s just a matter of time before all of this comes crashing down. Our sins will always find us out.” She took a deep breath. “We need to start running a squeaky clean program or I am resigning from my job.”

John leaned back in his chair and said, “Don’t overreact here. It’s been done this way for years.”

She leaned forward and looked at John very sternly and said, “Just because it can be done, doesn’t mean that it should be done.” Beth stood up and turned to go. “I want that safe out of my office, John. I refuse to pay any more football players, and I’m not selling players’ tickets anymore. If you want to move that safe into your office I could care less, but I want it gone. CAU agreed to abide by the NCAA rules, and by God we are going to do it if I have anything to say about it.” She wrote the combination down and tossed it to him. “There’s 3.6 million dollars in that safe. You worry about it.” As she was closing the door, she added, “You can fire me, or I’ll resign today, but I can’t do this dishonest stuff anymore.” And she left.

She went to her office bedroom, laid down, and just sobbed. That had been building up in her since she took this job, and it took a lot of courage for her to walk into John’s office and speak to him that way. She had prayed and prayed about this, and she was sure this was what God wanted her to do. Beth wasn’t concerned about her job even though she was making $120,000 a year now. She wasn’t selling her soul for any amount of money. One hour later, the maintenance crew appeared in her office moving that safe to who knows where. She didn’t care, she was just glad it was gone.

The National Football Championship was coming up fast on January 1st at the Superdome in New Orleans. The football team had about two weeks left to prepare for it. Coach Richert was trying to keep everything normal for the players—same schedules, same practice routines, same weight and film viewing schedules. The Miami Hurricanes were going to be a big challenge. They were also undefeated and had played a much tougher schedule than CAU. They were as big, strong, and fast as the Panthers, but the Panthers had one thing they didn’t have—Caleb Lewis. He would be the difference-maker in this game. Miami had lots of problems trying to neutralize Caleb; it was very dangerous to blitz him, because if you missed, the last thing you wanted him to do was run. It was also very dangerous to sit back in coverage and let Caleb pass. His arm was deadly accurate at any distance, and the four receivers CAU had were the best in the nation. Miami wanted to make Luke run the ball the whole game, but wanting something and actually making it happen is a different story.

After studying all the matchups on paper, the coaches felt they had a slight upper hand over Miami. But the problem with football is always the intangibles. You can’t measure things like toughness and the heart to win the game at any cost. To completely sell out to yourself, and your teammates, no matter what.

Caleb had studied and studied and studied. The team had put in the game plan and was working on the execution. Coach wanted everyone to understand what they were trying to do. It wasn’t any different than any other game plan—it always comes down to execution.

The team was flying out to New Orleans the day after Christmas. That gave them six days to get used to their environment, plus there’s a ton of stuff that New Orleans had in store for them. New Orleans is a great town, but for a bunch of 18- to 24-year-olds, there were temptations galore. Beth made sure there were lots of escorts to watch over the boys. The escorts were to be out on the street every night until 1 A.M. looking out for football players.

Caleb was both happy and sad about not being able to sleep with Beth for six days. It gave his stuff some time to heal (and it needed it). Beth was not happy about it at all, though—she just couldn’t imagine going six days without sex. Caleb smiled at her and said, “Sheez baby, you were a virgin for 22 years and now you can’t go six days?”

She looked up at Caleb with a very concerned expression and said, “Caleb, I may be addicted to sex.”

He just laughed and said, “Trust me babe, compared to other addictions, that’s not so bad.” They were truly in love and enjoyed each other’s company. They laughed all the time, and both were anxious every day to get home to see each other. Caleb had never been this happy. He also couldn’t wait to go to church every Sunday. He had read the Bible so many times now he had lost count. He couldn’t get enough of God’s word, and even Beth was having a hard time keeping up with his knowledge.

It was Christmas Eve, and for the first time, they weren’t at home with their families. With the team leaving the next day, there was no way they could go back home and spend it with their loved ones. Caleb had bought a gigantic Christmas tree and put it in the living room. Beth was just aghast—it was the ugliest tree she had ever seen. It was too big, half-dead, and terribly crooked. But he was so proud of it; he had bought decorations and just piled them on the tree. It was the most hideous thing she had ever seen, but she didn’t say anything.

The night of Christmas Eve, they put on their best clothes and went to church to worship and watch the Christmas program. A full choir and orchestra, real donkeys, goats, and a manger and hay just assailed Caleb’s senses. He sat wide-eyed like a little child listening to the beautiful music and the acting. He was telling Beth all about the birth of Christ and the wise men and the star. Beth sat there listening to Caleb and just let him talk. Of course, she had studied this Bible story since she was a child and knew it by heart, but Caleb was so excited, Beth acted like it was her first time hearing it. When the play finished, Caleb started clapping loudly, a big old grin on his face. He had never seen anything like this before.

He talked and talked on the way back to their apartment about the birth of Christ and about what that meant to the world. “Beth, isn’t it amazing that the birth of Christ was over 2,000 years ago, and he’s still changing the world today! Isn’t that the most remarkable thing you ever heard?”

Beth smiled, her heart warming. “Yes, superstar. It’s truly amazing.”

“Beth, there has never been someone as sick as I was. I was the worst of the worst. I hurt so many people and did so many terrible things in my life. I didn’t believe anyone could forgive me. But God loved me so much! What a mind-boggling, incredible, astonishing gift that is this Christmas!”

Beth sighed. What a remarkable man, and what a remarkable savior we have.