let me tell you a story

Once upon a time, there was a little Daddy’s girl who grew up watching football. It was a serious game this little girl realized. She would watch her father yell at the television and then a few minutes later jump up and let out a loud cheer. The little girl would imitate her father.

“What were you thinking?” her Daddy would scream throwing his hands up into the air.

“Yeah, what were you thinking?!” would come a much higher pitched version; hands on hips. Indignant at whatever had upset her father.

She learned to play football with the little boys in her neighborhood and was always ready to tackle whomever got in her way.

 As the girl got older she realized what football meant in the South and specifically what football meant in Texas. She lived in a state where most high schools had stadiums that cost more than some other state’s college stadiums. Football was a way of life in Texas. Football was king.

An aerial view of my high school’s outdoor sports complex

The little girl grew up and went to Texas A&M University where football and football tradition was not to be taken lightly. If she thought high school football was big she got a taste of Texas college ball. Games were sold out months in advance. 100,000 + fans were packed into the stadium to watch. Cheers were learned, yell leaders were followed and millions of dollars was spent and earned.

Post college, this little girl, got married to her Prince Charming. He also loved football but was more of a NFL professional football lover. Though some of the rules were slightly different the little girl embraced her husband’s pro football obsession until they were no longer sure whose obsession it was. The little girl started taking notice of a particular team because of a particular coach and before she knew it she had found a team all her own to live and die by come Sunday.

So imagine this girl’s dismay when for the 2011 season her college team started out ranked number 8 and is now number 21 and her beloved Colts have started the season 0-5.

In my fantasies I would wrap this little fairy tale up by stating that my college team goes to the NCAA Championship game and The Colts become the first team in history to play in a Superbowl in their own host city. But sometimes life aint a fairy tale.

The End.