The Boys of Fall

It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I am not really that into sports. I generally prefer to sit on the couch with a book in my hand. When I was in high school, our football team won the State Championship all four years I was there. That was a big deal, as high school football always is in the South. However, in general there were no sporting events playing on our tv at home when I was growing up. Unless you count the Bass Channel. My dad was/is a hunter and fisherman. I learned to shoot birds out of trees at 8 years old, but my PE teacher felt the need to call my parents and tell them the "big news" if my bat made contact with the ball in a softball game.

Then, I married an Alabama fan. If you are from the state, you need no explanation. If not, I will just say that if you are from the state of Alabama you must make a choice. You are either an Alabama fan (Roll Tide!) or you are an Auburn fan. You have no other choices, and no matter where in the world you live, you are still one or the other. We don't live in Alabama, but it does not dull my husband's sense of loyalty to the Crimson Tide at all.

Anytime he can, he goes to a game and this weekend, since we did not have such a great year this year, our bowl game was not one of the more famous ones. The good news however, is that it was closer to home for us, since they played in Orlando, Florida. So, we piled in a borrowed 12-passenger van, filled to the gills with 11 of us. Our family, my mother in law, and three of Joshua's friends, and off we went!

I have to admit, that even though I don't always know exactly what is going on, the ambiance of an Alabama football game is pretty cool. The stadium was packed (mostly with red shirts) and all around us were fans with the southern drawls that I miss so much now that we live in Florida. We had eleven people in our group, including the baby and my 8 year old who really has a hard time sitting still. The people sitting around us were so sweet. One lady gave us her light weight hooded jacket to put over the baby because I forgot to bring a hat and the sun was pretty bright. Someone else snapped a picture of the baby just because he is "so cute." The young couple in front of us laughed and helped him pick them up with our 8 year old dumped his bag of M & Ms all in their seats. Everyone was excited, turning around or leaning over to chat with us, or talk to my husband about certain plays. No one was crabby or irritated at my kids. Living where I live now, you can't imagine how good this felt.

Plus, since Kenny Chesney came out with his new country song, The Boys of Fall, football feels a little more nostalgic, even to me. I can remember all four of the Championship games from high school. I remember the crisp feeling of Fall evenings and the acrid smell of bonfire smoke after the games.

Maybe after 15 years of marriage, my husband has made an true Alabama fan even out of me!