I was born and partially raised in Western Pennsylvania. So between my dad and family I grew up loving the Pittsburgh Steelers and Penn State Nittany Lions. Saturdays and Sundays were dedicated to football and the watching of football. All kinds of family and friends would come over and there would be tons of food consumed. It was almost like a family reunion every weekend.
When we left Pennsylvania when I was 8 years old and came to Houston I started liking the Houston Oilers, the University of Texas, and the University of Houston. Football was still watched in my house but it was not the same as back home in Pennsylvania as we had no other family in Houston to enjoy games with.
As I grew older I got involved in playing football. I played 10 years of organized football between little league, junior high, and high school and loved every minute of it.
Not a day goes by that I don’t wish I could go back to my youth and play again. The overpaid assholes in the NFL have no clue how lucky they are to be able to still play. I would play football for my current salary if I could play in the NFL. I think those guys don’t love the game as much. That is why my favorite football is high school. Those kids are doing it for fun and not for money. They still have a grasp of the pureness of the game.
Today I love football just as much as I did as a kid, but I just don’t get to play as much as I used to. Sure on weekends I go outside with my kids and throw the ball around, but it just is not the same as it was when I was putting the pads on. It just does not feel the same to me.
Although I still enjoy watching it all the time. I mean on Thursdays you have college games. On Fridays you have high school games. On Saturdays you have college games. And on Sundays you have the NFL. And on Mondays you have the grand daddy of them all, Monday night football. And when we watch games at home we always enjoy food with the games just like I did when I was a kid with my family.
And I don’t just watch football on tv. I take my kids to games. We often go to watch my old high school play many times during their season. We go to college games as well and just recently went to see the University of Texas play. We also go to pro games and I have taken them to see the Houston Texans play on more than one occasion.
I guess what I am trying to say is that I love me some football. It is a part of who I am as much as blood, bones, and dna are a part of me.
My ex wife recently said something recently that made me think for a minute that she actually has a soul and knows something about me. She said, “When you die in 70 years or so, we are going to cremate you and have your ashes put inside a football and stitched up. Then we will put the ball in a glass case on the fire place mantle for everyone to see.”
I could not have summed it up better myself.
Fall is one of my favorite times of the year...and the dawn of football season is part of the reason. Theres nothing quite like high school football on a Friday night, is there?!
ReplyDeleteI know...girls aren't suppose to like football...aren't suppose to play football. *eyeroll* I wanna put on pads too! And if you dare toss me a maxipad I will knock you the eff out! That's a promise. Go ahead, underestimate me. You'll only do it once *grin*
The only thing that makes this craptastic Monday sufferable, is knowing that I'm gonna plunk my ass down with a cold one and some ESPN tonight. I'll toast to you when I do!
That's actually quite thoughtful of her!
ReplyDeleteSo if I've got this all straight, you love football, right? :-)
Nice post!
Pearl
Im not an over the top Fan I can watch it...I root for My College team Favorite..Michigan...Ive always rooted for Penn State as the ex was a Nittany Lion Fan (Altoona PA)..Love me Some Dallas Cowboys and Some Miami Dolphins.
ReplyDeleteDaffy, I think girls should be allowed to play as well. Every year some of my friends (both guys and gals) get together here in Houston the weekend before the superbowl and we play a game of football. It is a lot of fun, and the girls usually do pretty well.
ReplyDeletePearl, that is exactly what I was thinking. It was and still is the only nice thing my ex has ever said in her life.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes I do love me some football.
Brans, I will forgive you for liking Michigan and the Cowboys. But what is really ironic is that I lived in Altoona Pa for a while when I was a kid.
ReplyDeleteHey Oilfield Trash- I live in Houston, too! Check that out! My husband and I both went to UT, so we love us some Longhorns. They're not so great this year, though, right? My husband would be ashamed I asked... This post sounds like something my husband would write, though. Just this year our almost 6-year-old started playing flag football. I think my husband loves reliving his football days with him, but...yeah, I know it's not the same. It was good reading this from your perspective!
ReplyDeleteOh, and BTW, women do not need nuts, it turns out.
when you die in 70 years? SEVENTY MORE YEARS OF YOUR JACKASS WAYS?! sigh. LOL
ReplyDeleteThat was a good idea she had - I definitely agree that it's appropriate. As long as your terrible towel is placed on the mantle nearby, of course.
And your yellow flags. I mean, it would be totally foul if you died ;)
Great post.
Of course, I'm a TINY bit biased, what with my love of college football and all...
Kelley, thanks for stopping by. It is nice to see a fellow Longhorn fan around here. And yes they are not doing so well. Such is life. Congrats on your 6 year old playing football.
ReplyDeleteOT, it is a shame that the good ones like you aren't the ones getting the fame and glory. I totally agree that those assholes don't know how lucky they are.
ReplyDeleteThat was a nice comment by your ex. I think, despite her focus on your death.
xoRobyn
Yes Miley it was very appropriate of her to say that. And yes I still (hopefully) have some more jackass years ahead of me.
ReplyDeleteRobyn, the only reason she made the comment (which in context was not about me death) was because I told her that after knowing me for over 12 years that she still doesn't know me. And it was then that she made the comment.
ReplyDeleteListen - Ethan's team pretty much blows this year. They have a few openings on his 10 year old team. I bet you could really tear it up. Would you consider being a walk on?
ReplyDeleteOh Tiburon I wish I was in good enough shape to go back to that age. The funny thing is that I had so much fun in little league playing at that age.
ReplyDeleteHey OT - between your kids and mine, we could show those Utes (Tib's kid's team) how it's done - TEXAS STYLE. Road trip anyone? ;)
ReplyDeleteWow! Afterlife by way of a pigskin coffin. BTW...did you know that there's a football play on broadway now? Lombardi.
ReplyDeleteCopy, yes the after life in a pigskin. What a way to end up. And I did not know that there was a broadway play.
ReplyDeleteI am usually watching Rugby these days, but I miss the roar of the crowd and the crunch of the pads from football. It was great to take The Aussie to his first LSU game a few weeks ago. Geaux Tigers!
ReplyDeleteI still want to see a game @ LSU. I saw LSU play last year in Orlando at the Capital One Bowl against Penn State. AS I like both teams it was hard to cheer but it was a good game regardless of who won.
ReplyDelete