THE LIFE OF THE RIDDLE

THE LIFE OF THE RIDDLE

Saturday, December 1, 2007

I am a U of U fan


and this is how it happened.

I NEVER paid the slightest attention to football before I got married. I'd been to 3 football games in my entire life and I never had the slightest idea what was going on. Now I'm becoming quite the connoisseur of football. I can follow every thing which is shocking even more shocking is that I enjoy it. No one ever would have guessed.

One thing has always confused me about sports fans. How do you pick YOUR team? Okay I can understand routing for the home team, but how else do you develop a die hard affiliation? You think the QB is hot? You like the logo? You met one of the players once and liked him? You play on that team?

Spencer makes fun of me all the time because although I'm happy when our team wins (Broncos) I always feel a little bad for the losing team. Also when players don't catch the ball or don't kick the field goal my heart can't help but go out to them (they are going to have horrible weeks looking at all that film.) I realize that most people are just happy when their team is up and don't waist time feeling bad for athletes who are already making millions of dollars a year (NFL)

How does this relate to being a U fan?? I'm getting to it. Spencer and I both went to the U of U however our mothers both went to the U's main rival Brigham Young University 30 miles south in Provo Utah. Spencer grew up being a BYU fan and his affiliation didn't change even thought the U had given him his degree.

I graduated from the U barely realizing they had a football team. (I was into music remember) However when I married Mr. Football I started to hear about the U's football team. And I realized that every time Spencer got excited that they lost I would feel bad for them. They were my school. So I decided I was a U fan.

My father flipped out. Both my parents routed for BYU and my father took it as a personal insult that I changed teams. Every week I would get some email telling me of the evil ways of my fellow U fans. I tried to explain that I wasn't against BYU per say I just wanted the U to win too. He didn't believe me.

So come November, day after my birthday and time for the big U of U vs. BYU game. My whole family turned out to watch. The first part of the game was boring but the end made up for it. The U had been leading for the forth quarter and it looked like they would win when at the last minute BYU scored a touchdown and scored the victory.

My family was screaming. Spencer was screaming (I was sitting in his lap) and then the weirdest thing happened which I did not anticipate:

I burst into tears. My family was screaming and yelling so excited to have BYU win and I was sobbing.....SOBBING. Me sobbing over silly football! I was shocked to realize I was crying which only made me cry harder. Sitting on Spencer's lap, sobbing into his neck over a football game. Weird weird weird! I've never cried at football before. I only became a fan this season! I'm going to blame my ultra dramatic reaction on girl hormones.

Any normal day I wouldn't have shed a tear but for that day with my family all routing for the opposing team and laughing in my face it just became to much. Anyhow, I guess it is true now. I really am a Utes fan.

You would think my father would be excited that one of his 5 daughters finally knew what an onside kick was but no...not when she has gone to the dark side.

3 comments:

Evenstar said...

Joanie,
It's okay that you aren't a BYU fan. I myself don't care either way. And family relationships are much more important then football any day. So don't discuss football with Dad and you should be fine. I can understand rooting for the underdog though. I always feel bad for the Trix Rabbit, Wiley Coyote and others of that ilk. But I'm kind of hurt that you said the whole family was watching the game when I was out in the car reading A Sword from Red Ice. Ah well. I love you Joanie

The Morton's said...

I feel your pain Joan. I am sure Spencer has told you all about the U's LOONNGGGG history of losing to BYU at the very last second. I have witnessed a few of these games at Rice Stadium and its very disappointing. My parents both graduated from the U so when I went to BYU they asked themselves "where did we go wrong?"... but I made it up to them by graduating from the U.

Anonymous said...

Joanie,
I was indifferent really about who won and who didn't. I am sorry that your team lost since you were so sad though. Even though I plan on going to BYU and will probably be a Cougar fan, I probably will end up pitying the Ute's when they lose year after year. No, just kidding. I won't care about Football at all probably.