Thanksgiving Football

I have said it before and I will say it again, there is no better tradition that high school football being played on Thanksgiving. Just the way the Pilgrims envisioned it. The whole traditions really starts the night before at your local bar. All the alumni come home to see the family and head out early to start drinking, telling stories, and exaggerating their former prowess on the gridiron. There is the annual early morning parties before the game with Bloody Mary's for all. The game starts at 10 AM. The weather can be tricky but the last couple of years have been cooperative. It was cold but sunny and clear this year. I was able to successfully avoid most of the distractions, having to glad hand everyone I see. Caz sat for the entire game, on the fence to the left of the stand and team, with his buddies. He never left that seat. It was great. I didn't have to worry about chasing him around. I got to sit in the stand with Coco, which was a nice surprise. We sat next to Conan and his son, Tiki. Coco did go play some football with his crew for a bit, but ended up back with me. It was really a great day. Demi got to stay home and cook with no distractions. It is really the way she wanted it. So we all made out in the bargain. And the Dragons won in convincing fashion.

Milestone Birthdays

My Dad turned 70 this week. Hard to think that the old man is that old. He still seems to be the same guy I remember growing up. A few more grays perhaps but not many. He's still as active as ever, working his tail off around the yard every weekend. The older he gets, the higher up he seems to set the bar for me. He's a hard act to follow as it is. I don't need him setting precedent here. I want to have my arse parked on a beach somewhere, when I am his age. I am all for setting a good example, but now he's just showing off........

Happy 70th

Happy Birthday Dad! The Big 7-0. Hard to believe it.

Pats Rant

I went with my brother to Gillette to see Thursday night football between the Patriots and their rival NY Jets. I was definitely looking forward to seeing Favre play (in a losing effort I had hoped). Now admittedly the forecast was for a rainy, cold, miserable night. But we had geared up appropriately. We made it in a bit early to get a BBQ Brisket sandwich, so we were in our seats for kickoff. I looked around and noticed a large amount of empty seats. Had Patriot Nation turned into Dodger fans? It was like a BC game. And that is not a good thing. The BC fans exemplify all that is wrong with Northern college football. We wonder why the south is so widely considered the best big time college football fans. As I said before, it was rainy and cold, and a Thursday night. Was that the reason. Or are most Pats fans just spoiled?

Super Bowl Blues

Caz's Mites team made the Super Bowl. One would think that this a slam dunk, happy occasion. However, not so here. This was the most bittersweet event of all time.

This Super Bowl was a lot of "never seen". I have never seen a youth football team arrive in a team bus with a police escort (the opposing Hanson team). I have never seen an opponent whose closest game all season was a 30-8 win (against Caz's team, the second game of the season). I have never seen that same team run it up against another team because of something that allegedly happened during a high school game between the two towns. I have never seen a Super Bowl playing field in such terrible condition. I have never seen kids in tears after winning a Super Bowl, because they were 9 years old and never stepped foot on the field the entire game.

That is right. Of a 36 player roster, 12 kids saw the field. Is that the cost of winning a title? Is that cost acceptable for 9 year old. Is that cost acceptable for most ages? How does this escape the notice of the coaches? It didn't escape the notice of the parents. There were a lot of upset kids and angry parents after this game. Unfortunately, another example of what is wrong with American youth sports.

Rock The Vote

The press keep referring to this Presidential Election as history in the making. Obama versus McCain. It wasn't too long ago that Caz told me that he wouldn't vote for Hilary because she wanted to extend the school year. I really do like how the teachers and school get the kids interested in the election. Not just the candidates but the whole election process. Caz's school had a mock debate. Coco's class had a classroom election. We talked about the voting process and requirements at the dinner table. We talked about the Electoral College. We even had a quick session on representation in a Republic. Had I really been thinking I would have linked in Star Wars and the Galactic Empire. Missed the boat on that one.