Let's Get Ready to Rumble!

I have never been a fan of football. As a child I used to resent weekends when there was nothing on TV but football. Growing up in Syracuse the fall newscasts revolved around football. When I first moved to Buffalo it seemed that everything revolved around football year 'round.

PJ, our oldest, played football in high school and we went to all of the games that we could. He was usually the smallest player on the field and I was always terrified that he'd get hurt. I never watched the ball or the play - I was totally focused on where he was. I remember vividly the time he ended up at the bottom of the pile and didn't get right back up. I was ready to go right out on the field and take care of him until the ambulance arrived. But nooooooo. John kept me in the stands. He finally got up and walked under his own power to the sidelines. I could tell he was hurting. So, OK, I get to take him to the hospital now, right? Noooooo. Leaving then, especially with worried little old me would have been humiliating. He rode the bus with the team back to school and then he went to the hospital with a broken collar bone. The men in my life and I do not see eye to eye on football.

Imagine my reaction when when BJ (who wrestled in school) told me that he had signed the boys up for Pop Warner Football! They're babies, only 9 and 5 years old. Not football!!!! Baseball, soccer, bowling - anything but football.

So this weekend was spent watching the boys play. Of course Mike was the smallest kid on the field. It rained off and on and the wind was cold. Nobody was hurt badly so I guess it was a good game.


Alex is playing flag football. No pads or helmets yet. The coaches spent more time coaching than the kids got to spend playing. He didn't get to play all that much and most of the time I think he was bored. At least the sun was shining and the weather was warmer. I love my grandsons so I'm certain I'll be going to more games this year but I doubt I'll relax enough to enjoy it!