College Football

I’m not what one would call the world’s biggest sports fan. I don’t buy a lot of gear, hardly ever go to any games and although I catch most of the key games for my favorite team, the world doesn’t end if I miss one. This doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy sports; it just seems I’ve never spent the time or effort required to be a dedicated fan.

Most of this can probably be attributed to upbringing. While my family enjoyed weekend games, we didn’t attend many. There were always chores to do and money was a little tight back then. A few years later, in middle Tennessee where I was raised, the Titans showed up two years after I was long gone in the Army! While in the military, most veterans will tell you its hard to keep up with your team; takes some real dedication.

All that being said, college football is my favorite sport. As we enter week 5, another exciting season is well underway. I’ve always admired the skill, dedication and guts of those young athletes, some of them literally teenagers. As much as I tried, I haven’t been able to impress this admiration upon my sons. Both prefer pro sports, basketball mostly with the youngest also enjoying pro football. Our oldest lives literally across the street from his college stadium and hasn’t been to a game yet!

What draws me to college football? The basics really. How amazing it must be to perform on a stage with millions of viewers before you are even old enough to drink legally! Not to mention the amazing talent and fortitude those athletes possess. While I always respected college athletes, it wasn’t until I witnessed their skill up close while serving as a TAC officer at the United States Military Academy that I truly understood athletic talent. While Army may not have the premier football program in the FBS, the cadet – athletes are truly amazing!

I’ve always enjoyed fall Saturdays in front of the TV watching my favorite college games when I could. I suppose this started as a kid. When I was little, I believe about 6, my mom made me a Christmas gift! Quite the artist, she found a plain helmet and jersey, then painted the helmet and ironed on numbers to look like my favorite team at the time. After 44 years, I still got the helmet as seen in this week’s featured pic!

Definitely one of the best Christmas gifts ever! Not because I was a super fan, but what it shows about a mother’s love. Times weren’t exactly easy back then and her spending who knows how many hours to make a gift, really meant a lot. Enough reminiscing, back to the present!

If you’ve been following my blog the last couple of weeks, you know I’ve been in a whirlwind and will probably remain so for another month or two. All self-induced and all definitely worth it! However, a victim of this high OPTEMPO is my college football viewing time. Week 5 and I’ve only picked up a couple of games on TV. Perhaps subconsciously, another reason I’m trying to service all my targets is to make some time to watch the games!

I’m on track to at least catch the last half of the season and I guess that’s what really matters as far as college football seasons go. I am actually looking forward to plopping down on the couch and binge-watching from early afternoon till midnight! No, I’m not a super fan, but I guess I do love me some college football!

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The views, opinions and biases expressed in this blog are the authors and do not reflect those of the U.S. Army or Department of Defense.

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