Sports fan?

So, I have never been a sports fan. Really, in the early years of our marriage (when I was SO young and immature) I absolutely hated the fact that my husband would spend ALL day on Saturday watching college football and then Sunday watching NFL Football. He left me basically to fend for myself each and every weekend. Oh, then there was Monday Night Football too. I started to think I didn't stand a fighting chance when all of a sudden I found out that basketball season was next! UGH!

I can't tell you how many years I fought my sports fan for his time and for his attention. I must have spent the first 3 years of our marriage bucking all sporting events. It was actually beginning to tick me off that every weekend I would have to fight for my husbands attention because he watched sports. I went to school all day and all night 4 nights a week and the weekends he was supposed to dote on me. Isn't that the way it works? Yes, there were a few good fights over football.

When Jayson was between 1-3 we had the opportunity to have season tickets to the Carolina Panthers for 2 seasons. We all 3 went to every home game together as a family in a limo (yep, it was the life). I still didn't like football, but I liked the stadium, music and atmosphere. And I loved seeing Jayson dress up in his Carolina gear and get so excited about the games. I still maintain at that point, I was not a football fan, I just liked the social aspect of going to the games, tailgating, riding in the limo and of course,not being a "football widow". (Side note: Jayson is still a Carolina fan which really bothers Jay).

I guess that must have put football into Jayson's blood too, because when he turned 8 guess what sport he chose to play....yep, football! So, this anti-sports gal suddenly became the biggest fan of little league football you ever did see. When Jayson caught his first 2 point conversion (Mama had to learn what that was and what it meant), you would have thought he had just taken his first steps. I clapped so hard my hand was bruised and I screamed so hard, my throat was sore. And when he scored that touchdown and got hit so hard he couldn't get up, Mama was ready to kick some butt. I was fired up!

I think back over that time and how my father in law sat patiently by my side and told me what was happening, what it all meant and if it was a good thing or bad thing. My father in law LOVED watching Jayson play. It was the one of the things he specifically prayed for, that he would live to watch Jayson play football. He did for 3 years! He went in a wheelchair with his oxygen, but by golly, he went to the games! He even let me put a stripe in his snow white hair with purple hairspray! This year, I sure did miss him when Jayson played for Middle school. Jay just isn't quite as patient with me as his dad used to be. He tries, but still, it's not quite the same.

Isn't if funny that I fought sports for so long and now that I think about it, some of my most bonding moments with my father in law came during football games. No, not NFL games, but VT and I just happened to think we were watching games way better than the NFL could produce. After all, we were watching OUR boy.

Today, I try to bond with my son and my husband by watching the Cowboys or the Mountaineers, but I still can't figure out why I should become a fan just to have the sorrow of watching them lose. Why waste my precious time? Oh yeah, because in those few short hours my son may lay beside me or let me scratch his back. He may joke around with me and I can pretend like he isn't growing up too fast. Football, of all things, brings me close to the boys I love (and that isn't the Cowboys!).