College Football, 60th Season

For the better part of my life, when August comes around, I’m locked into really only one thing, college football. Mind you, I enjoy most all sports, but many, I half-heartedly keep up with what’s going on and then get focused come championship. But when the end of August rolls around, I’m fully engaged through the National Championship game. Whether my favorite two teams excel or not, I’ll start watching early on Saturday and watching games until I go to bed. Sometimes I have the headphones on and watch in bed usually until I fall asleep. Weekly, Jen is expecting something to happen on Saturday and every week I have to remind her of where and what I’m doing for the day. What draws me to it? The fans, certainly. The notion that for many they are playing because they love it and not because they will have a career in the NFL. In fact, the small percentage that actually make it is single digit and may have a period in front of it. Many states don’t have a professional team, so college is the natural hometown or home state love. The people wear the colors of their team with pride, have parties with family and friends, wrench and turn in their football recliner that has been with them for near forty of their years of watching and luck would certainly not avail itself if we chose to sit elsewhere. I’ve had some of my most exciting feelings when big games are won and I’ve had my biggest gut-wrenching disappointments with losses. I’ve become very humble as I get older and less expecting of my favorite teams, at least on the outside. I still get upset when y team doesn’t play well. If they play their hearts out against a better team, so be it, hope for a better recruiting year in the off season. College football is life comes the fall and these days half-way through winter. I’m sure Jen feels like a football widow, but at least she knows I will never tell her no on anything she wants to do come Saturday as long as I don’t have to participate. I watch the pros, but it is so business like these days that it is impossible to take them seriously. Born and raised a Cowboys fan, but I’m sure if you cut me, there will be burnt orange blood that comes seeping out.

Three conference changes in my lifetime, several Heisman’s, a few national championships, and countless storied years and players have given me a lifetime of joy. I’m sitting and looking around my game room and these day, I’ve lost all of my Longhorns memorabilia. I had a flag I’ve been looking for the last ten years, thinking one of my boys must have taken it. Really the only thing I know I have is my candy bowl in my shop. If I could get a jersey of any player ever, I’d be hard pressed to pick just one. Maybe if a jersey could be made with multiple numbers I’d be set. Have to interject, we start off another year with a first game loss. Got a lot of growth to go to live up to a first game number one ranking. Knowing that most teams will loose a game, I guess I’d rather see it now and not at game ten. Digressing from my joy of football. I expect a good year of football watching. Maybe Colorado State will have an unexpected, good year and I can find joy in rooting for my underdog second favorite team. The Longhorns have been playing football since 1893. A lifetime win percentage of .704, four national championships, thirty-four conference championships, a hundred first team all-Americans, and two Heisman trophy winners. Sixty-two bowl appearances only team with more is Alabama. There are six retired numbers, and all played during my lifetime. Six Longhorns went on to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.

I have high hopes and low expectations every year. The fall is less lofty that way.  Too many games lost at the coach level even though there are plenty due to poor execution. Today’s loss was on the coaches. Maybe I brought a little bad luck today wearing red shorts. Maybe I should start flying a flag on Saturdays and wearing orange attire. Not really a superstitious person except when it comes to football. Many days I feel a loss or win was directly influenced by me. I love this time of year. When the leaves start to fall and we start getting a chill in the air, it all gets more intensified. Football will be a comfort after my surgery and I’m not able to walk. But I bet I wrestle in the bed every weekend to either victory or defeat. No matter, I will be there. Cheering, cussing, crying, and cajoling. Every Saturday I will be there an ever-present fan. So sad for those that don’t have football and try to elevate their stature by thinking that riding a bike somehow is a more noble experience. I can only laugh, as the best they can come up with on Saturday is mowing the lawn. Hopefully, they are really listening to the game on their headsets. Hook ’em Horns!!