A Football Post

I know most of you are indifferent to the whole stick and ball sports stuff but I do follow at least football and baseball. Giants and Fortyniners. We moved to California in 1981, when the Niners were starting their amazing run and the Giants were bad with no signs of getting better. But we became fans. Games at Candlestick park. Yeah, it's as crappy as they say (though AT&T Park is wonderful).

We were young and from a state that at that time had no professional sports team. I played football in high school but my college was the Army and the Police Department. I went to my first professional sports game in the spring of 1982. The Giants played the Braves. Bob Brenly hit a grand slam but the Giants found a way to lose anyway. Someone fell off the upper tier very near our seats and was killed. It was memorable to say the least. Still, we were hooked. The Niners won 5 Superbowls and the Giants finally won it all in 2010.

The Niners are finally good again after 8 years of stinking up the league.
2003  7-9
2004  2-14
2005  4-12
2006  7-9
2007  5-11
2008  7-9
2009  8-8
2010  6-10
2011  13-3

A first round bye and a home game. Frankly I'm astounded. I predicted a rebuilding year under Harbough and no better than 5-11 or 6-10. They're playing excellent defense, have a very good kicking game and have enough offense to keep them in the game with a chance to win. It's been a winning formula so far but now it's post season time. There's at least a fair chance they'll win at home and play in the NFC championship game and that's more than I could have possibly hoped for before the season began. They don't beat themselves.

Lu and I remained Fortyniner faithful through the dark years, though I turned off more games than I watched. It got pretty painful for a while. I'm looking forward to seeing what they can do when the brass ring is within reach and the pressure has been turned all the way up. I think they'll surprise someone. Finally, a reason to watch post season football again.

Go Niners!

Six

Army 14

Air Force 24.

Oh, the ignominy. My daughter and Ras will never let me live it down.

Six

Army Navy And Ruminations On Turkey Dogs

Chrisi was wandering around last night, casting her sad puppydog eyes at Lu and I. I'm still not sure what she wanted but I decided she needed a treat. I opened a new package of Turkey dogs and gave her one. She slurped it down (really, did you even taste that!?) and politely inquired if perhaps she could have another. Well, she's 14 now and Lu and I tend to not deny her about anything she wants at this stage so I gave her another. And another. 8 turkey dogs later she had consumed 1 pound of the things and still gave me the sad eyes. I figured a pound was probably enough though she seemed to disagree.

Last night she fell asleep on the floor on my side of the bed. And farted her way through the night. You know those gaseous dog emanations where you can actually see the results? Yeah, hers were a glowing green mist that seemed to hover over the bed, bathing Lu and I in a soft, radioactive blanket of Turkey dog farts. Silent but truly deadly. Who knew turkey Dogs were so dangerous?

But Chrisi's intestinal Krytonite is not why we're here today. Today is the college football game of the year, the only game I truly have any great interest in. It's Army vs Navy and a game I freely admit I love.

These kids will, almost without exception, never play a down of professional football and they know it. There are a few but the number is now so small as to be statistically insignificant. Those kids play for the joy of the game, for the honor of representing their service and for each other. It's still the purest form of amateur athletics left in America. Most of the Seniors will be in combat within the year or even sooner and all will take their commission and go on to serve their country. I hold these young men in great respect and admiration. I will cry when the National Anthem is sung and again at the end of the game when the two teams stand together for the singing of their Academy songs. They are truly worthy representatives of America.

So. With all due respect to my brothers and sisters in the Navy (You know I love you all)

Go Army, Beat Navy!

Game's on at 1230 Mountain Time.

Six

Update: 24-7 Navy at the half. Ouch.
Final: 31-17 Navy. 9 years straight. ORPO will never let me live it down.