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!!
