Are You Ready For Some Football?

[Maryann Mercer]

I love football. Sometimes I don't understand the nuances, but I love to watch the game. I can't tell you why exactly, since sometimes it can be deadly dull. There's nothing slower than slogging through mud and rain in search of those ten yards using only running plays; especially when those plays don't seem to be doing a darn thing. Pass! I scream (in the stands, at the big screen TV, at the radio). Throw the damn ball...there's a receiver wide open in the end zone! Of course, no one listens to me. I didn't major in the sport, or coach the sport, I just know better than the people who do. I'm the dreaded armchair quarterback! Growing up in the Chicago 'burbs, I knew who Da Bears were, of course. Moving to a university town after my wedding, I soon learned who the Fighting Illini are. They're my team, even though I didn't attend the University of Illinois. It was inescapable. I went to a game or two and was hooked. Now I bleed orange and blue (which also happen to be Chicago's colors...convenient, no?) and still have the Super Bowl Shuffle on vinyl next to the Illini 3 in 1.

I'm not just a Bears/Illini fan though. I cheer on the Colts, the Pats, the Packers, and the Saints(who can't love that team?) When they play each other, I root for whichever side has the ball. It makes for interesting viewing, and I end up hoarse. They could play football all year...I'd watch.

Don't get me wrong, I like the other sports too. Baseball was a childhood passion (go White Sox) and soccer is a new one, but there's just something about the nip in the air, the bratwurst on the grill, and the thrill of the "thunk" of well-conditioned bodies as they battle over an inch or so of artificial turf. You know, I think there's a game on right now!