The Theme Of The Rise And Fall Of Jason Rabbedeaux Was Here

I chose "Jason Rabedeaux was Here" by Wright Thompson In his article, Thompson uses juxtaposition and diction to describe the rise and fall of Jason Rabedeaux and his attempts to fix his mistakes before ultimately falling back into a life of misery. With the use of juxtaposition, "he'd been acting strange. . .wanting them to remember him for the man he used to be” (Thompson). Thompson can give detail into the rise and fall of Jason Rabedeaux, and how his actions led him to an untimely death. Thompson's use of diction also iterates that while Rabedeaux had the qualifications on paper, his personality often did not match up. Thompson uses a previous interview to describe Rabedeaux as "overqualified to be an assistant coach . . . with an undeniable

He sets the idea that Rabedeaux spent a decent part of his days as a good man, slowly beginning to rise to the top of his career. And then, in one swift movement, Thompson begins to describe Rabedeaux’s fast fall from grace. Thompson describes this as, “the meteoric rise and the long, slow, spiraling fall” (Thompson). For the better half of his life, Rabedeaux was a good man. But as with anyone taking blow after blow, it was only a matter of time before his morals began to slip. He began to explore a more dangerous lifestyle, investing heavily in drugs and alcohol. His relationship with his wife and kids began to fall apart, before breaking down completely. He spiraled down to the point where no one would hire him, and the only place that was left was coaching a rejected team in Vietnam. Thompson’s description of Rabedeaux’s fall from grace only makes it seem as if it is normal, stating that “few coaching stories have happy endings, and almost every career is defined by loss” (Thompson). Thompson goes on to share bits and pieces of interviews that he has acquired from Rabedeaux’s previous colleagues, using these to iterate how shocking it was for Rabedeaux to sink this low into the ground. These uses of diction show that though Rabedeaux was not the best person in the world, he was still as high up as one of us. It makes the reader realize

He was extremely skilled in choosing recruits to play for his teams and was often the most dedicated member of staff that was available. Thompson explains that Rabedeaux was able to pick out and improve even the lousiest of players, encouraging them to become great. However, even though Thompson attempts to keep Rabedeaux in a somewhat clean light, it is still explained that he had several low points throughout his career. He truly began to hit rock bottom when his teams began to lose. His charade began to slip. He started drinking and showing up late to practice, and he was even caught in an affair. This being a complete 180 from the earlier portions of both his life and of the article, Thompson uses this type of juxtaposition to bring the reader into the fall of Jason Rabedeaux’s life and career, the end of it all. Rabedeaux’s losing streak continued and so did his substance abuse. He was drunk more than he was sober, and he was unable to contribute wholeheartedly to his coaching position or his newfound second marriage. According to Thompson, Rabedeaux became “belligerent, reeking of