I remember being on a pep band bus in high school, probably traveling to a basketball game (which I do understand and enjoy), and I borrowed the handheld football game from someone and played, and, I kid you not, I lit up the whole bus when the lightbulb went on above my head as I played the game and declared:"Oh, that are what the four downs are."
Most of my time at football games growing up involved either running around the stands with a group of friends, or playing my flute or piccolo in the pep band. I knew you cheered when there was a touchdown, and we played the Kellogg fight song, and we also cheered again if the football was kicked through the goalpost. Other than that, I couldn't tell you if our team had a running game or a passing game, or if the offensive team was on the field, or the defensive team.
Things got a little better when I got to the University of Idaho. I was in the Vandal Marching Band, so spent a lot of time at Vandal football games (in the Kibbie Dome, where I have fond memories of water dripping down on us from the leaking room).
Football was rather fun at the University of Idaho my sophomore year, when the Vandals were in the playoffs. I remember over Thanksgiving break having to head back to Moscow to play in the band for a big game. Now many of you could probably tell me who we were playing in that game, and if we won or lost. Sorry, the only details I remember from that day was the ride home from Moscow, with me driving, and I believe the brakes were going out on the car. That is what I remember.Another football highlight that year was, again, because of being in Marching Band. Our band traveled to Seattle to march at a game in the Kingdome. It was the Seattle Seahawks vs. the Pittsburg Steelers. The only reason this game was a highlight was because of the celebrity factor of some of the players. I remember watching the players jog around the stadium before the game, and seeing Terry Bradshaw, and Mean Joe Green. The only reason I knew who Joe Green was is because he used to chug Coca Cola on a TV Commercial.
Our marching band was seated right behind the Seahawks, and the one player I had heard about was quarterback Jim Zorn. And, if I recall, he was pretty darn cute!!
The next year, PKR joined me as a student at University of Idaho after spending a few years at Western Montana College in Dillon. He would sit up in the stands with me, and patiently try and explain to me what was going on, and where certain players were headed on the field, but it didn't help. My brain doesn't absorb football plays.Playing Trivia Pursuit with PKR kind of puts this in perspective. He had incredible ability of holding in his brain a plethora of TRIVIAL sports facts that help him in the orange sports and games category. I, on the other hand, do a much better job in the pink Entertainment category.
On another level, I don't understand the obsession of watching football all day on T.V. Or the Fantasy Football leagues. I'm not saying this is a disparaging way. I'm just saying I don't understand that much attention paid to football.
Again, I don't understand football.
But for those of you who do, and love watching it, playing it, following it.....have a great fall!!
7 comments:
Dad and I went to that playoff game and Idaho defeated Montana. It was one of the most fun and exciting football games I've ever seen. You might double check with Jill, but I think Scott Linehan was on that Idaho team and had a great game, but I'm fuzzy about that.
The band was good, too.
I like going to Vandal games just to be a part of the crowd, see old friends, eat nachos and hot dogs, and relive a little bit of my youth.
Speaking of youth, you gave me a MAJOR FLASHBACK to my childhood with that picture of the Mattel football game. Wow, I'd forgotten about playing that. We were so amazed by those simple electronic games. Kids nowadays would just laugh at them. I wonder if my mom saved that game in a box somewhere... Would be interesting to see if it still works almost three decades later.
I think you could really get hooked on football if you found an updated video game for an X Box... oh, but you don't have an X Box... and then there is that fear of getting addicted to video games... oh well... I understood it pretty well until I went to Inchelium and tried to figure out 8-Man Football!
SVG, fb is actually very simple. The OC checks the chart in the box, calls the HC, who tells the sub(s) who run on to the field while the subees run off, and then tell the QB the play, who some listen in part too when it is called, and then they break, run to the line, the O line makes its call of Ringo, Charlie, or dash, depending upon the defensive line's alignment, the QB who called the set, audibles at the line because he doesn't like what he sees, after the defense calls its stunts, the DL then shifts , the c hikes the ball, the o line zone blocks, the center cuts the MG, the QG pulls straight down the line and earholes whomever steps across the line and the slot and the WR run a z, out, post or corner, while the TE, after a short count block drags across the middle. The slot goes into motion and does a bubble, the QB fakes the handoff to the RG who then flares to the flat opposite the bubble, the DE and the DG slide right but stunt to the left. The Corners bump and run, the ML picks up the crossing TE and 'says hello' and the Safety blitzes. In the midst of this controlled chaos the Referee throws a little yellow flag, because all of this was taking too much time...and the process starts all over because of the new yardage situation, after the penalty for delay of game is walked off, and they do a variation of it all over again. Whats not to understand?
SVG, one last thought. For 'fans', FB is like a special treat. It is so much more than the players and the coaches and the referees. It is all the spectators, the cheerleaders, the drill team, the band, the dance group, the pregame singer, the younger kids throwing the football around during half time and dreaming 'of the day to come', the moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents, relatives, and of course the die hard boosters. Don't focus on just the small aspect of 'the game'. Enjoy it for what is...an event...something special...a time to meet and great...and hopefully have an opportunity to yell loudly at someone or something for the pure fun of yelling...heck, you don't even need to know what it is you are yelling/cheering about...just go with the flow.
STB--Okay, your first comment was in a foriegn language. I read through and I maybe got a fraction of what you were writing about, such as QB, quarterback. (Pretty good, huh?) But the next comment, I can relate to. I do enjoy the moment of the football game, and the fact it is an event. All the extras. To me it was always a social event. And a chance to play in the band. Kellogg's next homegame is Oct. 5th, and it is Homecoming, which should be fun. The Princess is up for Homecoming Queen, so it should be even more special because of that. Enjoy your football season, not only because of the event, but because of all the stuff you understand going on on the field.
Can one be a Princess and a Queen at the same time? That is great! Congratulations to her. Matt was the Jr. Class King candidate at LC a couple years ago. That was neat, although he wanted to be in the locker room getting ready for the 2nd half. Congrats to you and PKR too. Go Wildcats!
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