Seahawks fever has hit an all-time high in Seattle today, and right now there is hardly a person walking the halls of Microsoft not dressed in Seahawks green and blue – myself included!
I have to admit I am more than a little excited about the game – so excited, in fact, that we are flying in all our kids to spend some quality family time watching the Super Bowl!
That got me thinking a little about my childhood.
I’m the youngest of four boys, and sports was a part of just about every facet of our lives. My poor mother had to accept being one of the guys! Some of my earliest memories are of my family watching Muhammad Ali fights and Monday Night Football. Monday nights were always set aside to do things together – and football took over from September to February. One of my favorite things about Monday Night Football was the 3 minute recap of Sunday’s games with Howard Cosell: “He could… go… all… the… way!!!”
I took my own shot at football once I got to Granite High School in Salt Lake City. My sophomore year I weighed a whopping 100 pounds when fully outfitted in all the gear. A force to be reckoned with, for sure!
My senior year ended with a tear in the cartilage of my right knee during the pre-season, thus ending any dreams of greatness. Not that this de-railed my athletic career entirely: Since then I have torn both ACLs in my ongoing attempts to be a weekend warrior on the court/field. Perhaps over time I’ve become a bit “fragile.”
One other funny note about my high school days on the gridiron: The mascot of my school was “The Farmer.” Considering that this image intimidated exactly no one, we referred to ourselves as “The Fighting Farmers!” Weak, I know.
Skip ahead a couple years, and I’m working at a grocery store during my freshman year at BYU when I meet my wife. It is one of my fondest memories. Then I met her father. At 6’5” and 250 pounds he was a giant, a local football coach, and a former college football player. To answer your next question, yes, I was on my best behavior at all times.
For the last 7 years, every Saturday in autumn has been spent at football games for our 14 year old. The four quarters spent on the field are just a fraction of the time commitment however – first there’s the weigh-in an hour before the game, then there’s the hour of travel on each side, etc. My son is on the offensive line and, at 150 pounds, is already bigger than I was the day I got married. Crazy.
The high school here in town is absolutely fanatical about football, and, in addition to having produced dozens of nationally ranked players, it has brought home a state championship in 5 of the last 7 years. The sport is something of a religion in our area!
I love the sport, I love the Seahawks, and I can’t wait for the game.