I confess I love football. The college teams play like there’s no tomorrow and the pros generally give you your money’s worth. At what those dudes get paid, they should.
The game is physical and bursting with testosterone. The grunts and slaps and leaps into the air to grab that ovoid coming straight at you, or a little to the side, or over your head makes for a great show. My favorite parts are the victory dances in the end zone when a touchdown is scored. Michael Jackson couldn’t have done better.
Second confession. I joined the family football pool once again this year. Last year I picked teams that were cats or bears…shunned the birds and occasionally chose a team because I liked the uniforms. I came in second to last.
This year, I vowed to do better. I studied the teams, the age of the quarterbacks, the standings, the weekly injury list, the talking heads’ projected winners. I read tweets and interviews and knew which players had axes to grind against an upcoming competitor. The regular season just ended and guess what? I won. My moniker was Jackson’s Grandma (Jackson is a big loveable dog), and I smiled every time someone said, “but she doesn’t know anything about football.”
Football is so ingrained in our culture that it even pops up in church.
Yesterday I decided to start out the New Year by going to church. Third confession: I don’t do this often, but what the heck. The walls didn’t fall down. The pastor stood in front of the congregation, asking for volunteers to pass the collection plate. When nobody stood up, he asked those whose teams had won a bowl game to stand. About eight rose and were promptly recruited to pass the plateThe college games are over now, except for the Big Game to determine the national champion. After seeing too many lopsided wins, I am now a firm proponent of an even more detailed play off system for the college group. The pros are entering their post season, so I will still have Sunday games to watch for a month. Then we have the Super Bowl.
What does a confessed football junkie do in the off-season?
She watches baseball.
Go Giants!
GO DOGERS!!!!