Football

Should probably write something about football now that they've cleared up the contract unpleasantness. No, I have no insights on the deal. Don't know whether it is good for the players or the owners. I do know that it is for the next ten years and that means we should have labor peace and full schedules for some time now.
Anyway, the calendar has turned to August and that means my mind has turned to football. Training camps are open and soon I'll set up the football picks game you all know and love so much. But that isn't what I'm going to talk about tonight.
Way back in the fall and winter of '77, it was our last football season in Illinois before we moved to Austin. Those are my earliest memories of watching it. Oh, I'm sure I didn't settle down and really watch. And the fine points and subtleties surely alluded me for some time, but that is how far back I can remember.
My favorite team at the time was the Miami Dolphins. I'm certain this was solely because I liked dolphins but there you have it. There must have been lots of questions from me as to which team was which and I can picture my parents patiently answering.
At the time I was roughly the same age that Relia is now. Can you see where this is going? She asks about who is playing and I tell her. It's all 'who is that in green/red/black/purple'? I not only tell her their nickname but I also mention what city they come from. We have a map right in the living room so I can actually point to it. (This is all doubling as a geography lesson.)
Anyway, I'm looking to see if a little magic can happen this year. She won't understand it all, though I'll spend as much time as she wants explaining. But if she can get the hang of what a touchdown and a field goal is then I'll have succeeded. And maybe, just maybe, this will be a special family thing like I've always wanted.
One of my past favorite baseball writers wrote something back in the early 80's about how he was sure his kids would have no interest in baseball. It had something to do with cosmic justice and how these things just happen to work out. I've got a small fear (not a large one) that I'll screw this up and drive the kids away from watching football with their old man. My current plan is to simply try and be easy about it and see what happens. Oh, and to badmouth the Packers at every turn, but you probably already figured that out.
Anyway, we're only about five weeks from real live football games. Yes I'm excited!