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What’m I talking about? Well FOOTBALL of course! One of my favorite things is college football. I’m a big fan, but not die hard. (Although my sister and I are plotting ways we can catch the game while at a friend’s wedding in a few weeks. Actually, his wedding is a two day extravaganza.) Do the polls and numbers numbers mean anything to you? Good things? Bad things? Do you agree or disagree? Could care less? |  |
I don’t know about you, but I went to a big football school. I think it was a combinations of things. We won the national championship my freshman year. I didn’t even buy season tickets going in – because really – who cares about football? :X (Sacrilege, I know. Hey – I grew up and have lived all my life North of the Mason Dixon line.) Not to say we don’t have good football up North. I mean there’s The Ohio State University, and that state up North (both in the Big Ten). I suppose I have to give props to the Pac Ten as well. Otherwise, the SEC is a major power house, and everyone knows football is akin to religion (if not greater) for the Big Twelve. (Yes I know there are more conferences.)
Some of the big schools playing this Saturday are the Bulldogs, the Buckeyes, Trojans, Sooners, Gators, Tigers, Mountaineers, and Longhorns. Some schools have awesome mascots. Others are run of the mill. You have your fierce animals, the ones everyone knows – and then the interesting ones.
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Even if you have nothing to do with sports, there are some mascots that are recognizable to everyone. Likely everyone knows John Harvard. (*Please* tell me you can place this one.) The Ivy League is fun – it makes sports fanatics cringe, but Harvard and Yale have fun at their game, and the crazy traditions. (I know Harvard students go streaking before the game.) There’s the green wave (Tulane)- but their mascot figure is a pelican. Stanford’s tree has a mascot contest, I believe – which is fun (or they used to). Does your school, big or small, have a nutty sports tradition? |  |
There are the teams you love, and the teams you hate. And I haven’t even gotten into pro football yet. (Don’t worry, I won’t. ) But other than this post being YAY YAY YAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS BACK AND THAT’S AMAZINGLY TERRIFIC – I’d like to involve all of you.
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Do you like football? Hate it? Like another sport? Soccer, Baseball, Hockey? Have had friends who were on teams, managed teams, were cheerleaders or dancers for a team? Does your significant other love or hate sports? Are you sitting there with him/her or wishing you could use a crow bar to pry him or her off the couch? (Or using said crowbar to brain them?) |
I liked playing touch football well enough, but I was never big on professional spots. Until, as I said, freshman year. There was no avoiding it, and by the end, I didn’t want to. I also discovered Susan Elizabeth Phillips, one of my favorite authors, and read her Chicago Stars books. Honestly- how can you not be at least the tiniest interested in football after that?
| Still, even with all the football hype, some times my favorite stories and things about the sport are the human interest stories. Like Michael Oher’s. Yes, the article is long, but it’s worth reading. And – tell me how you can hate a sport which makes a life and gives someone who wouldn’t otherwise have them, great opportunities. |  |
And of course, to make this everyone friendly – what’s a something that you absolutely love love love, that you look forward to yearly, (or whatever time period). Or, any good sports stories? Or bad- because sometimes those can be good too. 😉 Or a favorite character who is/was a pro athlete. (Rachel Gibson, Deirdre Martin and number of other authors write terrific stories with such characters.)
well i love it too. Go gators
nflwhoo. Go 49ers!!!!
kh – So you went to Florida? You guys have done well in the past few years.
As for the 49ers… I’m less sure as to how they’re doing. But recently it’s always the Pats and Colts. 😛
I love football. My daughter is always amused by how I shout at the players on the television screen.
And can I say how totally pissed off I was last season with the NFL channel and not being on Time Warner cable???!!! Almost made me want to boycott the sport.
Gwen – Haha, I yell at the tv too. Not as bad as some people. It’s adorable – my sister’s dog knows “TOUCHDOWN!” She [the dog] will run around like crazy and be all happy – and she knows she’s gonna get a treat.
I have not, however, gotten the NFL channel. All the games on network and regular cable are all I can handle.
Do you have a favorite team/teams?
Cowboys, of course!
I also watch the Texans and the Titans if they’re on.
You see, you say football and I think Manchester United, and Sir Alex Ferguson. The best. This man is a legend, and yet, although you’ve heard of one of his pupils, Beckham, you don’t know Sir Alex.
If you think Craig Ferguson sounds Scottish, you should listen to this man.
Anyway, I can feel myself going off on one now, so I’ll stop.
But football is the Beautiful Game, and the most popular sport in the world. And yes, I love it.
I just moved up to Gainesville from Ocala (where there is an even split between Gators and Seminoles)…but..GO GATORS!!! I do have to say that I’m not into football, basketball, or many sports for that matter but when you live in a college town you have to feel the excitement. I mean, my kids actually have a Friday off for public school in November for homecoming!! The whole town just shuts down. And let’s not even get into traffic….ughh….
Gwen – LOL I thought Cowboys, but didn’t want to assume, in case it wasn’t your team. (Because if people usually don’t go with the home team they are *serious* about it.) TX-wise, I really only go for the Longhorns :X.
Lynne – I love football (well your football, my soccer) too! 😛 Actually I think that’s the first sport I ever watched. Then, an interest in baseball, then football. I think the Beckham phenomenon.., well some can be attributed to movies, he is/was good, and then, the fact that he’s hot. And married a former spice girl. And all the money he’s currently raking in. Or at least, that’s what it is now.
Sharmi – Haha. Oh, the gators. There seem to be a lot of you from FL! I don’t like basketball. I will catch a football game if I happen to be home, but pro games are give or take for me. COLLEGE ball now, I’ll wake up early for. (And these 8 AM games – nuts!) As for Friday off school… I’m shocked and jealous. My school(s) have had teams go to the National championships, and classes definitely were still held. Grr.
However, I COMPLETELY understand the hype. It’s… even if you hate sports, it’s something of an amazing experience to go into a stadium of over 100,000 screaming fans. There’s a great tradition of community and camaraderie.
See, I hate sports (really don’t get it actually) but my grandpa loves watching sports, so when ever I was over there when I was little I was stuck watching either football or boxing. Which I think is why I hate it, lol.
Though I have to admit fans can make it look fun. When I was in high school me and my friends went to the football games, but that was more of a excuse to hang out and goof off (talk crap to the other schools which we did frequently.) Only sport I ever played was tennis, and thats more fun to play than watch. Though my older brother was a football player, so I always got to go to the football games my freshman year and the varsity team was undefeated so that was fun. I had no clue what was going on! I bought pompoms and became a big mouth with my friends.
I used to watch basketball and football religiously. I don’t watch much of it now. I remember reading about this one fan, being so upset at his team’s loss, he destroyed everything in his house. Talk about zealous fans. I was never that involved. [g]
football… uh I have seen a game once I think
I don’t pay any attention to football or sports in general. I’m actually in the minority in my family on this one. As for the other kind of football, I just volunteered to be my son’s soccer coach. Thank goodness they’re 5.
My alma mater had these male cheerleaders at every game of the girl’s hockey team. And for some reason they would have a lime green ancient couch that they would have on the ice at every home game, where they would sit and cheer.
Sylvia – That’s too bad. I don’t like ET for something like the same reason. He freaks me out, but it’s also the movie I was forced to watch the very first time I remember my parents leaving me with a babysitter. A friend hates football/rugby because she always had to spend weekends at her half deaf ex-in laws watching games.
Fans can be super fun, and depending on the game/stadium, there’s a terrific sense of camaraderie/YAY. You high five and grab on to strangers, cheering the same thing. [Or at least, college.]
I actually never went to a single high school game, and don’t have any plans to go to one either.
Keishon – Uh… scary. Holy crap. When my college lost it was like a ghost town on campus. [Which was really freaky because I went to pretty much the largest school in the nation.]
Sybil – PFFFFTTT. It’s fun. I’d think you could get behind a game where you can hang out and drink and eat for 3-4 hrs.
Devon – My parents couldn’t care less about my sports. [Well my dad claims he can’t watch b/c otherwise he’d get too mad and break something like the guy in Keishon’s story. Really, I think he just claims that show his two daughters don’t show him up on sports.] Haha. Coaching soccer? Dang. Well, they’re 5, so they can all run around.
I’m… not understanding the male cheerleaders and couch. 😛 Seems to me they just wanted better and more comfortable seats.