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The poem, “To an Athlete Dying Young”, relates directly to Boobie Miles’ fall from grace. In the poem the author states, “And the name died before the man, so set, before its echoes fade” (Houseman). Boobie was a loved athlete whose name was glorified. At games fans made signs and yelled his name. After his injury he was out for a couple games but after that he was good to play. He did play in one game after his injury but the crowd could care less. His good name died before he was finished playing. In the part of the quote “So set before its echoes fade” is explaining that even before Boobies hype had faded, he disappeared. Boobie still had some play left in him but no one gave him a chance. Even though he still had fight in him, there wasn’t anything he could do. Boobie is a player who can’t stand to not be the star, which is why after he saw no celebrity, he quit. The book describes Boobie as not wanting to let go of his dream, but that in the back of his mind he knows it’s over. Bissinger states, “He wants to have that magic wand and have it be like it was before he knee got hurt…but he knew it wasn’t possible” (199). Boobie wanted to become a college football player more then anything, because he knew it was his only ticket out of Odessa. The quote says, “he knew it wasn’t possible”, and the poem describes how athlete is still clinging onto the “challenge cup” but that people come to see “the strengthless dead.” This is exactly what happens to Boobie, he tries to hold on for as long as he can even though he knows he can’t do it forever. He knows that people didn’t care anymore but clung on to his fame so he didn’t feel like a failure. The poem also states “And find unwithered on its curls, the garland briefer than a girl's”, it’s portraying the athlete as a failure because his garland is briefer than a girls. Boobie would never want to be a failure in anyone’s eyes especially his school and his fans.