Last night I headed down to Dick Bivins stadium here in Amarillo an along with 7,500 hundred other people watched my 16 year old nephew's varsity football debut. He's a big kid, around 6'2" or so, and before fall practice he was weighing in just a tad over 300 pounds but he's sweated off enough to get back under three hundred. Used to be I wrestled around him him quite a bit and while I still have several inches of height and we weigh close to the same, I now have to fight dirty to maintain the upper hand.
He plays for Canyon a small town about ten miles south of Amarillo, but their opponent was none other than my alma mater -- the Caprock Longhorns.
Now Caprock has a long standing football tradition ... of losing. That tradition continues last night but the team has a new coach and they actually looked better than normal. My nephew did well last night and his team prevailed 20-7 but I had a hard time rooting against my old school. So I didn't. I cheered for my nephew to do well while at the same time I hoped for the Longhorns to score. I had coached a few of the seniors on Caprock's team back when they were in the fifth and sixth grade so I knew players from that side as well.
At halftime I wondered over to the other side and took a stroll among the Caprock fans. I ran into a couple of old classmates and a few of the parents of the kids I once coached, so this week has turned into Old Home week for me.
I am an avid football fan -- The New Orleans Saints in the NFL. Nebraska Cornhuskers in college. I attend a good many high school games each year and besides coaching kids for a while, once upon a time I ref'd everything from fifth grade to varsity. So I know my way around the ol' pigskin after being involved on every level.
Varsity High School Football is huge in Texas. It spawned first the book, then the movie and finally the television show Friday Night Lights. The team that spawned those creations. The Odessa Permian Panthers once played Amarillo High at Dick Bivins stadium and there was something like fourteen thousand people at the game.
In the spirit of fall, football season, and falling foliage I am going to suspend my Sunday ritual of sharing The Feedstore Chronicles. In its place I will be telling a few of my referee stories but don't worry you non football fans they wills till be character stories more than anything else. I think y'all will get a kick out of them(pun intended) even if you do not like sports. I'll start tomorrow. If you really need to hear about Earl's unscrupulous horniness, or Jerry's stupidity, or another tale of When Barnyard Animals Attack you can go here to revisit the Feedstore Chronicles.
I do plan to share more of these stories later, but probably not until after the first of the year because after the football tales I plan to share a few humorous anecdotes about my stint as a mall Santa Claus which I mentioned previously in this post titled, The Other White Meat . Yes, I actually donned the red suit for one holiday season and it ranks as one of the worst decisions of my life, but you will have to wait until after Thanksgiving for those horror stories. And don't forget the Tuesday segments of Terrible Tuesdays with Travis.
So there you have it, your fall preview for what is to come on the TBC.
TBC? That stands for the Travis Blogging Community.
So here's my questions. First, how many of you are football fans? And second, who do you root for?
18 comments:
"Who Dat Who Dat Who Dat Gonna Beat Them Saints" !!! Ohh to be in the superdome at the end of a winning game with venders beating on ice chests and chanting "Who Dat" I love a good Saints game and I am Happy to say there has been some chanting lately. To be on Bourbon street all night sleep a couple of hours go to the mall drink some advil down with a beer at 10 am and watch the pregame show in the mall. Go to the game scream your drunken head off and take it all back to Bourbon street. Go to Patty O's and drink a hurricane because you cannot go to New Orleans with out it. Go a little ways down and get a 32oz cup of fresh fruit and everclear at the Cat's Meow. I think I might be a little homesick.
If you know I am at the game do not buy a ticket behind me. I NEVER sit down... That goes for hockey too. I have been know not to breath during a whole play.
Ohh and one more thing that poor little guy that had to block my 16 yr old 6'5 300lb baby nephew is probably still in bed this afternoon.
You are too funny! Sorry you have to work the entire weekend. :(
Interesting profile, and blog you have. I'll be back.
BTW- How did you find me?
The word "football" made my eyes glaze over, sorry.
I have no idea what you wrote.
I'll just say hi!
Go E A G L E S!
But I do have the Saints as my Defenive/Special Teams in Fantasy Football. Your team better step the hell up.
Are you ready for some FOOTBALL! AWWWWWW YEAHHHHHH!!!
I think Texas and Ohio are the only states in the Union that "get" football. I grew up near the Pro Football Hall of Fame and just thought it was a way of life. Anywho - can't wait to hear the stories.
Teams I root for? Um... Browns (Bernie Kosar rocks!)
The Ohio U Bobcats - gotta root for the alma mater.
And reluctantly OSU Buckeyes, but that's only because if you don't do that where I live you are shunned.
I have you linked on my page.. hope you don't mind!
Sorry, not a football fan. Being a guuurrrrrl, we didn't play it in PE and I never got interested. The only sport I actually follow these days is figure skating [duck] despite never having been ice skating myself, and being a miserable, disaster-prone roller skater. It's gorgeous and I love watching. I'm sure you'll manage to make football stories entertaining, though, so I'll at least give 'em a shot.
Is that a chocolate pigskin there...? [squint] See, now that's a great way to get non-fans interested. :) Either that or frying them -- that's delicious too.
Angie
figure skating would be okay, if they had full contact and some sort of weapon...
Awesome! can't wait for all your football posts. The huskers going to challenge USC at all?
I like you am a Huge fan, a Boilermaker fan though. So, I am also a Saints fan for my boy Drew Brees! He and I were in the same fraternity, and I was very good friend with his girlfriend, she and I were cheerleaders at Purdue together. I wasn't a fan of friday night lights, but I liked Varsity Blues haha. I know Texas football is huge, almost as big as Indiana High School Basketball, but not quite ;) haha
GEAUX SAINTS! I love love love the Saints, they've been my team since I was about eight years old and they've stayed my team since. I can't wait for Thursday's game!
I'm a lifelong football fan, and Buffalo Bills fan, so I'm not too happy for the last thirty years or so.
As for high schools, I'll root for whoever is paying me to broadcast their games. I ain't proud.
Yep, I'm a huge football fan. My teams are the Seahawks and Boise State Broncos. I was raised in Washington state, and my mom is a huge Seahawks fan, so I inherited that. Also, I'm an alum of Boise State, so there you go. I'm looking forward to a good football season for both my teams. We'll see how that goes.
I prefer my violence on ice...shaken, not stirred and with a little blood on the side.
I will watch football, especially the super bowl and I am a Falcons fan, sorry if I offend anyone.
But the Falcons were beat into me by my father, growing up in ATL, what choice did I have. But I will also watch, Da Bears, with my inlaws.
As for your Fall line up, I think I look more forward to the stories about the Mall Santa Clause than anything else. I will have to TIVO your blog.
Your fantastic Travis and thank you for making me laugh.
Yours,
me
PS: When we gonna get that voice clip you promised?
LOL.. Call me later if you wanna talk.
After reading my wife's comments , I'm sure you can all see why I love her. We make a great pair of I do say so myself.
Adriann - Welcome, and I think I followed you from a comment over on Phat's blog.
Lattegirl - Hopefull even non football fnas will find a bit of humor in the ref stories.
bubblewench - The Saints will have a better offense than defense but hopefully they will do you some good.
skiing red- thanks for the link and i think you might have to throw Florida in there as well.
angie - I have trouble with any sport that is decided solely on a judge's score.
stonecold - they call that hockey and it ranks right there with football for greatest sports.
Phats- the Huskers seem to have a real strong line for the first time in a few years. A running game to go with that west coast passing attack? They just might give USC a run.
Ruby - It is always good to hear froma new commentor, especially a fellow Saints fan.
Reid - The Bills? Some how I never pegged you for a Bills fan.
Duck- I love that smurf turf.
Cicily - Good thing I like you, because I HATE the Falcons.
Hey Travis! I've seen you 'round on others' blogs that I frequent, so I thought I'd stop by yours to say hello.
I'm a friend of Skii's so wherever she goes, I go and vice versa. There's even a rumor going around that we share a brain. (I have it at this moment.)
Anyway, hope you're having a great holiday weekend! :)
Oh and I look forward to seeing you around blogland!
Design Goddess - Welcome, and I will check out your blog as well to see exaclty what it is you design.
Jason - I's be very wary of Huard if I was a Chiefs fan. And LJ has taken a lot of abuse the last few years. Can he hold up?
Notsostonecold -- they have that, it's called ice hockey. [wry smile]
Travis -- the whole judging thing can be frustrating, yes. [nod] It'd be nice if there were some clear, obvious way of figuring out who should win. But OTOH, figure skating fans have even more fun second-guessing the officials than football fans do, and with more reason I'm sure. :)
Angie
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