Game Time

It's football time!

I am married to a sports nut. He will literally watch anything that is related to sports and balls. I once came upon him sitting on the couch with a bemused expression on his face. He was intently watching a ballgame. When I asked him what he was watching, he just shook his head and replied, "I have no idea, but it's a heck of a game!" He was telling the truth, he had no idea what he was watching. It turned out to be rugby, which was totally foreign to him, but he was glued to the set anyway. Now that is a sports addiction.

Over the years I have learned, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em". That means I've watched lots and lots of sports. However, I really enjoy football. We have had season tickets to the university games for over 35 years. Even after all that time I'm not really sure what makes people do it. By that I mean, why do people sit outside in all types of weather to see which team will move a ball up or down a field more times than the other. It's not logical to sit on metal bleachers in a thunderstorm, risk heatstroke at 95 degrees, frostbite at 10 degrees, snow, rain and wind. If someone told you to sit in your yard at these conditions you would laugh. However, we bundle up in our strange, but always blue, gear and happily head to the stands. There we will join crowds of more blue clad fans and swelter, drip or shiver while we cheer our team on. Crazy, but there is nothing like a football game on a fall afternoon.

In the 35 or so years, we have fed a ton of food from the trunk of our car in the parking lot. We tailgate with the same couples year after year. It is tradition that whatever kids are attending school at the time stop by for a free lunch. Mom and Dad get a quick visit and the kids get a good meal. We have done everything from stew to burgers and about everything in between. It's a hassel getting it all together and I swear each year I won't do it again. Then it all comes together and it is such fun. The best part is that after all this time the world has turned in our favor. Now we tailgate with some of the kids we fed and they are feeding us. Now instead of taking the whole meal ,we get to bring a dish or sometimes nothing. Wow!

So, today is the first home game. Naturally, the forcast is for thunderstorms at game time. Hubby is convinced that it really won't rain and who knows it might not. However, I think I'll take the blue raincoats and the big plastic leaf bags just, in case.