Tuesday, January 1, 2019

THANKS BRIAN

Rerun from Dec 29,2014

The days surrounding  New Years  are the pits on TV if you don't like college football. College bowl games dominate the tube. If someone had not stepped into my life to broadened my interests, I would probably shop or travel this week each year.

In high school, my perception of football was as a social event. I concentrated on chatting with  my friends in the stands and ignored the field except when my current beau's name was called over the loud speaker. I would check to see if he got up after that last fall down and was getting congratulatory pats on the bum by his teammates.

Interest mainly surfaced when the game was over and the girl friends were allowed to swarm the end zone to welcome their particular warrior home. That was when I learned that boys do cry (we didn't win a lot) and that in those days there was hardly a high school athlete with a full set of natural teeth. They removed their bridges to play.

Until I spent New Years day with Brian in the late 60's, watching football, wasn't on my to-do list. Brian was an off and on boyfriend who worked at NASA and had invited a bunch of us to his house in Coco Beach for a New Years Eve party.

This was during my party hearty days and Patti just put too much of herself into the celebration. I regained consciousness New Years day on the couch with my head on a pillow on Brian's lap. Bodies were strung out all over the floor. It was a carnage. There was not a cell in my body that didn't hurt.

Unable to move, I let Brian tend to me. He was remarkably cheerful and full of energy. It would have been easy to hate him if he hadn't been so darn sweet. He draped cold cloths over my burning forehead and eyes. He massaged my temples, neck, plied aspirin, orange juice, coffee, toast and talked very softly.

"Do you mind if I watch the Bowl game?" he asked.

"How long does it last?" I squeaked.

"Only about an hour more."

"OK" I replied thinking I could do an hour.  I sure wasn't able to go anywhere else.

Men in colorful uniforms ran, fell, got up in a group and ran again, only to fall again. Just like high school. Yawn. Only thing I understood was that the colors were pretty and the guys had cute butts.

Occasionally Brian would softly yell and fist pump the air bringing on waves of pain and nausea. He would immediately apologize but soon would repeat the action or growl his disapproval of a play.

In spite of my sometimes wobbly pillow, I dozed off for a while. When I awoke, it was still football only the uniforms were a different color.

"Gotta watch this." he said." It's Air force and Utah." Air force Academy was his alma mater.

I was feeling a bit better but was still  puny enough to be unwilling to move. He continued to stroke my head and brow absently like I was a favorite hound dog.

For many hours, we watched one game after another. I asked questions and he patiently answered. People came alive around us, food was eaten and soon all the guys were watching the games while most of the girls generally slept.

When the day ended, I knew a punt from a kick off, what downs were and could pick out the quarterback with no problem. I finally understood the intent of the game.  Wish I had known all this in high school.

The seed was planted and in the following years, I grew into a serious football fan. The zeal has waned a bit since I moved to Arkansas which has no professional team but this final week still draws me in for the college bowl games. I do love my Hogs (Razorbacks) though they aren't in it this year.

Thanks Brian, where ever you are.  I always think about you around New Years. You might have been the one that got away.

Are you a fan or have you better things to do during this time?

32 comments :

  1. I've never gotten beyond the "cute butt" stage. I'm impressed that you have!
    Hoping you have a great New Year. I enjoy following your blog.

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    Replies
    1. There is nothing beyond the "cute butt" stage!! Happy New Year!!

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    2. Ginnie and Fran,
      Ha ha, few women get past the cute butt stage.

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  2. Happy New Year Patti:-) I am not a sports fan and that makes me an embarrassment to my entire family.

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    Replies
    1. Annie,
      I am sure they are grateful that there is someone willing to get the refreshments:))

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  3. It is the greatest game ever! Enjoy and Happy New Year!

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    Replies
    1. joeh,
      Thanks and my favorite game N Y Day was the KY and Penn State game. BTW, had to look up "kicking or sticking." New one to me. Thanks.

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  4. What a great memory of what sounds like a great guy. I have good memories of New Years Eve and day as well. In my circle children and women went to the movies and left football for the guys...after a huge sleepover and brunch. I've always been happy that I ended up with a guy that doesn't like sports anymore than I do.

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    Replies
    1. Jean R,
      Lucky you. I think prospective couples ought to discuss fascination with sports.

      Delete
  5. DH and his brothers, sons, etc. are big football fans and it's on TV all day New Year's Day and a lot on other days too. I have no aversion to it, but can't just sit and watch the game on TV. When we were young and attended LSU games on campus, those were fun... and I will check the score even now when LSU plays, but to sit and watch on TV - no! There are too many things I'd rather do with my time.

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    Replies
    1. Rian,
      I am sure tolerance and understanding is all most guys want.

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  6. I am a fan, but only when I have some sort of interest in the team. I don't watch simply to see a football game. It has to have meaning beyond that.

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    1. Carolyn,
      I am that way about professional ball but college ball, I can just pick the under dog and enjoy the game. I don't usually watch the whole game but keep it on to catch the special plays.

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  7. Not only not much of a fan but don't even have cable so nothing to watch! I came by to say Happy 2019, Patti. May it be a healthy one for you.

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    1. Barb,
      That makes the choice for you. Thank you my friend and hope you also have a healthy and happy 2019.

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  8. I'm definitely NOT a fan and have a large collection of DVDs and books to get me through all the sports programs on TV at any time of the year.

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    Replies
    1. River,
      You have some great plan B's to carry you through.

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  9. I know the game and have followed some teams on TV over the years. It's easy for me to get sucked in and start to care, even today, when a team plays that I like. But I sure don't want to watch a whole game these days, ever. Love this post and am glad you no longer party hearty, Patti. :-)

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    1. Djan,
      We pretty much have the same watching habit. Me too on no longer being a party animal. Gave it up in 1976. I wouldn't be here today if I had kept up my bad habits.

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  10. You know I despise football. But if it were baseball I would watch a game of my favorite team. Then done. Well, maybe highlights and such. But not all day. I don't get how men do that and I am a die hard fan of baseball. My first husband was a football and baseball fan. I went to movies alone and did things with my girlfriends or read or anything but sit and watch him scream at the TV all day. :-)

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    1. Peggy,
      Now baseball is my sport also and I will hunker down for my teams game. Football I watch mostly on the fly and only sit down when things get interesting. The rest of the time I kind of listen to it when doing other things.

      Delete
  11. No fan. It bores me to death. Nice bums tho. LOL

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  12. Yes, I'm a fan. We have the Seattle Seahawks, of course, and this year the WSU Cougars won the Alamo Bowl and the UW Huskies played, and lost, in the Rose Bowl. Sunday the Seahawks play Dallas in the NFL knockout round.

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    Replies
    1. Linda R,
      Sorry your Seahawks got knocked out but you do have other great teams and sports to watch.

      Delete
  13. The only game I watch is the Super Bowl. It has such energy, and great commercials. The half-time entertainment is sometimes good.

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    1. Susan Kane,
      The things you mentioned about the super bowl are what makes it bearable for a lot of women.

      Delete
  14. I understood football through high school though we didn't have a team until my senior year. I continued to enjoy the game but saw it only occasionally. Then my husband who had been a star athlete long before I ever knew him, been deprived of an expected scholarship to Ohio State’s 🍵 m due to WWII, later an illness, demonstrated his dedicated fan status. In the beginning games were enjoyable on TV as well as live in the stadium We attended some games for the team those many years later. Then more and more games of college, professional, sometimes even high school, plus Bowl games coming out my ears were on the tube and played incessantly. Adding insult to injury college games stopped showing marching bands half-time shows and instead filled the time with talking heads rehashing everything we’d just seen. Being subjected to all this to the exclusion of other matters of significance resulted in my feeling unwillingly overdosed to a degree the games became toxic for me.

    The poison has gradually become diluted and I have once again been able to enjoy viewing some games — just don’t subject me to a steady diet of them and mute the talking heads at half-time, plus no more replays, please.

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    1. Joared,
      This time of year does indulge in football over load. Until you mentioned it, I just realized that about the marching bands. That is too bad.

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  15. I think you already know that I am a football fan of certain teams. I watch all of the OU, OSU and AR Razorback college games. Since Baker Mayfield is pro now I am a fan of the Browns. Brian sounded like a very thoughtful and kind guy. That was quite a New Years celebration you all had. Hugs and Happy New Year sweet Patti

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    1. Maggie,
      Hasn't Baker Mayfield created a miracle for the hapless Browns? I am so happy for them and will watch Browns play with pleasure.

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  16. I’m not a sports fan, but my husband, kids and their spouses are all rabid sports fans. In Chicago, I was a fair weather sports fan. For some reason I can’t seem to understand the game. Well... I sort of do, but not the finer points. People keep trying to explain the rules to me, but that part of my brain just doesn’t seem to work. Still, we’ll be watching the super bowl this year. I like the commercials.

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