Tuesday, August 26, 2008

I Smell Pigskin

This afternoon I make my debut as a head football coach. I've assisted an a dozen teams over the years but this season I am the man for the juggernaut St Mary's Catholic School 2nd grade flag football squad. Should be a lot of fun. We might not win a game, but I'll consider the season a success if everyone is smiling after the last game.

Now off to a meme that Steph tagged me with and since it' s been awhile since I did one.

The rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules.
3. Tell six unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag six bloggers by linking.
5. Leave a comment for each blogger.

This isn't an easy chore since by now I've discussed most of my quirks, but here goes anyway. I'm keeping to a single theme.

1. I'm a mean video game football player. Madden or NCAA football by EA sports. Go ahead challenge but I'll warn you I like to run up the score, yes even on my seven year old. I have no mercy when the controller is in my sweaty palm.

2. I play fantasy football and have every year since 1991. Yes I am one of those guys.

3. Despite my tenure as a high school football ref I continue to curse the refs whenever I feel they have slighted either my beloved Nebraska Cornhusker or New Orleans Saints.

4. I once heckled Deion Sanders from the top tier of the Superdome. He played for the Cowboys at the time and the place was virtually empty. He was out there long before the other players to test his sore toe and I was fueled by one too many Blackened Voodoo Dixie Lagers and I harassed him until he shot me the bird. I was satisfied once I knew he'd heard my robust critique.

5. Back in my younger days I sued to wager as much as $1500 dollars a weekend on college and pro football. and this was at a time when I only earned a fourth that much each week. Those were in the days I worked at the feed store and I stopped when my boss, who bet twice what I did, got subpoenaed after our bookie was arrested.

6. While in Vegas last week I bet a whopping ten dollars on the Saints to win the Superbowl this year. Should they actually pull that off I'll get $160 dollars back.

So tell me, are you a football fan? College, NFL, or both? Who do you root for?

26 comments:

Steph said...

Hey, thanks for playing! I think it's awesome that Deion Sanders flipped you the bird! I'd be proud of that, myself.

To answer the question you left at the end, no I'm not a football fan, but I cheered on the Miami University Redhawks when I went to school there. When I head back to western PA, I'm gonna have to pretend I'm a Steelers fan again, but I really couldn't care less. I watch the Superbowl exclusively for the commercials.

Jenster said...

Good luck with your new position!!!

March2theSea said...

i married an alum of University of Michigan..so sort of by default I root for them..any anyone that beats the ever loving freaking tar out of Ohio State.

Linda McLaughlin said...

Travis, hope you enjoy the coaching. Second graders should be fun.

I'm not a big football fan, though I prefer college ball over the pros. Since I'm a UT grad, I have to cheer for the Longhorns and my hubby's Crimson Tide. Prefer UCLA to USC as far as local teams go.

Linda

yellowdoggranny said...

i love college football..well, i love football and you already know i love my cowboys..but i love the baylor bears and every since i started following gramham from high school and he went to texas tec i have been rooting for them..

yellowdoggranny said...

oh..congratulations on your new super cool job...I always wanted to be a football coach..

Beth said...

Hey, Coach, I love your view as to a successful season - everyone smiling after the last game. Better yet, after every game!
Hope your debut went well.

Travis Cody said...

Congrats on the head coaching gig. I helped coach 10-12 year olds one year for a buddy of mine. I handled the defense. It was fun.

I am a major football fan, mostly pro but I enjoy the college game as well. I usually blog all day on Sunday while I'm watching the games.

I don't do fantasy football. I can't bring myself to draft a player I don't like, or root for teams I don't like to do well.

Have fun!

Charles Gramlich said...

Big, big fan, of course. Saints for sure. I also like Indianpolis and generally the Raiders. Like Green Bay.

In college, it's the University of Arkansas Razorbacks. Whooooo pig, sooieee, Razorbacks. I'll root for Nebraska a lot because a good friend does.

Vodka Mom said...

GO PENN STATE! (yeah, I go for the tailgates, but I STAY for the football.)

the walking man said...

Travis not a sports fan in general. Call it a left over bit of rebellion from my youth...but I found #4 to be funny as all get out. Oh to be heard...it's a wonderful thing.

Bubblewench said...

NFL - Eagles - go figure.. I do Fantasy football too and my team this year is.. Pillage Idiots.

Not so big on college though. Boring.

B.E. Sanderson said...

I love football. I've been jones'n for it since May and now that it's here, I'm feeling much better. NFL's good, but I'm more of a college fan. I can't wait for the season to begin there. For me, it's the University of Michigan (and I'm with March to the Sea - anyone who beats Ohio State is dandy in my book). I'll also root for Florida State - as long as they aren't playing Michigan in some bowl game or other - because I lived in Tallahassee for a while. On the pro scene, my favorite teams are the Packers, the Colts and the Steelers. But my heart bleeds blue & gold. *sigh* Here's hoping with all the changes the Wolverines have a good season this year.

Danette Haworth said...

Not related to your post, but, oh my gosh, Travis, I just read your short story, The Simplest of Sounds. What a powerful story. I congratulate you on building up such suspense and tension in such a short amount of words. Excellent work!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on being named Coach! That's awesome!

I'm a Saints fan through and through! Geaux SAINTS!

grace said...

I love football. :)

I was a Niners fan back when I lived in the SF bay area (back when they were good--with Steve Young and Jerry Rice and Dana Stubbelfield) but when we moved away and they got bad (related events, I'm sure) I sort of lost interest. I still like the sport, though.

Last superbowl, I had HOCKEY PRACTICE during the game, but we got out just in time to see the final field kick on the screen in the rink's lobby. I was dancing around halfway dressed in hockey gear. :)

Anonymous said...

Not a fan of American football in any form but I like football soccer very much.

Anyway, I hope you have fun!

Merry Monteleone said...

I'm not a football fan, but everyone around me is. I think you already know I'm a baseball person...

Hubby plays fantasy football and their draft is at my house on monday... this year I caught a break, they usually have it here the night before the first day of school.

My oldest son plays, too. He's eight and plays in a travel league, and he loves it - so I'm learning as I go. I asked if he wanted to play the flag football, too, but he wasn't interested. He didn't see the point if he didn't get to tackle people.

He likes defense and the offensive line. What's really weird is he is the sweetest kid you'll ever meet. He hugs teachers and other parents just because (always women now that I think of it so maybe that does have something to do with high testosterone).

Lana Gramlich said...

I ask you--how can a ref possibly "slight" a team that sucks as badly as the Saints, really?
Good luck with the coaching. I bet that'll be fun.

Lexi said...

Hey, Coach! I'm a HUGE football fan. Since I grew up in RI, I'm a Patriots fan. Since I moved to TX, I'm also a Longhorns fan. (I actually LOVE "the other" football too.)

ssas said...

Kansas University--20 years in the making, and the Broncos, baby.

We might not win a game, but I'll consider the season a success if everyone is smiling after the last game.

You and I have the exact same view of sports for kids.

So you coming to the conference or what??? It's smaller attendence this year--more chance at the editors and agents.

Unknown said...

Okay, I laughed my butt off on #4. That is TOO freaking funny! I have NEVER known anyone else that has done that.

You rock!

Unknown said...

By the way, my neighbor is a HUGE Nebraska fan. Has the flag on a pole on his porch, his sons have jerseys (they are 2 & 5) and he goes ALL OUT!

Me, I'm more of an NFL, but I don't mind watching the Vol's or Ohio State play.

Monnik said...

I'm behind on posts... I'm so excited for football! Can't wait to hear about your 2nd graders' football season!

those odds against the saints aren't as bad as I'd have guessed.

"Go ahead challenge but I'll warn you I like to run up the score, yes even on my seven year old. I have no mercy when the controller is in my sweaty palm."

I do this with my son when we play chess. I can't help it - I always start off saying I'll let him win, then I go for the jugular and have him in check mate. muahahaha...

Anonymous said...

I do pro football, New England Patriots.

To me college football is a waste most of the time (live in CT with an overrated UCONN football team), but I decided to follow Temple this year, only because a good friend of mine's nephew is a co-captain on the defensive line.

Junosmom said...

Baseball! I grew up with the Cincinnati Reds at their pinnacle. Johnny Bench, Pete Rose and all that.
Now, I find myself living in college football territory and I just can't get into it. I may need therapy.