Coming Soon, to a Stadium Near Me...

Of course at this time of year in the US, it's football time. And I don't mean football the way the rest of the world does (what our people call Soccer). This is that off-shoot of British Rugby that's played at the high-school, collegiate, & professional level in this country. That bone-crunching, pain-inducing, blood-spurting, gladiatorial, quest for territory acquisition sport that truly defines what America is all about. Well, that's not totally true; we aren't that blood-thirsty & imperialistic (most of the time, anyway). :)

In the south, football seems to have an almost religious following. I remember playing outside on a Sunday afternoon when I was a kid, and there being very little traffic. I also remember seeing very few (if any) men outside at all. Both of my parents would watch college games all-day Saturday and pro games all-day Sunday. Some Sundays my Uncles (Dad's brothers) would come over to watch too.

Personally, I never cared much for the game overall. I tried to get into it, but it never got under my skin the way the auto-racing later would (and did then to some extent). I even tried playing football twice as a kid. The first time was when we lived in Huntsville; the 2nd time was after we moved to Vina, AL. However, I was a very small kid, and not the fastest of runners, so I never found a place. Also, none of the coaches I had ever taught the fundamentals, so I was totally at sea the entire time I participated.

As I grew older, I also grew to understand the game better. But I could still take it or leave it. I'm the same way today. However, there is one difference; I now live in a city that has its' own NFL franchise (Seattle Seahawks). I now watch all Seahawks games that are televised. I've also attended at least one game each season I've been here ('06, & '07), and I'll keep that going this Sunday. I've got tickets to the game, and I'm taking my old friend Reality Catcher (RC).

Hopefully, the team can get their first win of the season against the evil, satanic St. Louis Rams (didn't they used to be LA Rams?). :) The 'Hawks haven't had a great start this year. They've been plagued with injuries, and they just can't seem to pull everything together. It's very frustrating to watch at times. After falling to the Bills (Buffalo, NY) & the 49er's (San Francisco, CA), it's their worst start since 2002. Not a good way to start the coach's last season with the team.

However, even if we l-... er, uh, don't win; I'll still have fun. I'll get out of the house for the day, hang with my best friend, consume highly overpriced food & beverages, & scream myself hoarse (more than likely). Of course there's also the possibility of being on TV. Our seats are in the end zone, near the tunnel where the Seahawks enter the field, so there's a good chance of being able to wave, "Hi Mom." :) But I have a feeling that we'll win. We have each time I've attended a game, so we have that going for us. :)