Confessions of a college football fan!




I truly enjoy Auburn football! So shoot me! Some of us watch soap operas, some play the stock market, some go fishing or hunting, some garden, some play bridge, some build model cars, planes, or trains, and the list goes on and on. Everyone has a pastime they enjoy, and many are not very productive; just fun. I enjoy Auburn sports--and especially Auburn football. Granted, it has been easier in the past few years as Auburn has enjoyed great success: Their record of 33-5 over the past three years is the third best in the nation! Only USC and Texas were better. Their won-loss record in SEC games is also the best in the conference over the past six years. (Few people seem to know that.) But even when we have struggled, it has been fun and engaging.



I am not sure exactly why watching college football is so engaging. Some who played the game seem to not enjoy watching others play. I played high school football and loved it. The pure competition and the freedom to unleash some pent-up aggression was great! I went to the University of Georgia on a football scholarship, with expectations of more success, only to find they were loaded with great athletes and I was average at best. I left before my freshman year was completed. That would probably have soured some folks on college football, but not me. I know several guys who played with some success in college, but who are not really fans of college football.

Playing or not playing does not seem to be a factor in whether one is a fan or not. It certainly is a factor, however, in whether one is a tolerant fan or not. Those who have played are usually far more tolerant of players and coaches because they realize how very difficult it is to perform at the high level required to be successful in this sport. Those most prone to criticize often appear unathletic and unlikely to have ever played the game.

For me, there is an exhilaration that comes from watching guys compete fiercely in a game of pure competition. No favoritism rules here. Coaches tempted to show favoritism do not last long. The best player has to play, or you don't usually win. I suppose I also am in awe of those who can be both good athletes and good students in college. I found that very difficult. I remember coming in from practice so tired I fell on my bed and lay there until the next morning. The thought of studying was farthest from my mind! Fortunately, most schools have a good support system in place with study times mandatory, tutors when needed, and close monitoring, so that most guys are successful.

I love the pageantry and traditions of college football. Auburn has its "Tiger Walk" which grew from a simple walk by the players and coaches from the athletic dorm to the stadium on game day. However, when Alabama finally came to play Auburn at Auburn for the first time in 1989, after many decades of playing in "neutral" Birmingham, that walk was lined with many thousands of cheering Auburn fans, and it has been a huge tradition ever since. Sitting in the stadium and feeling the electricity in the air, tailgating before the game, swapping tales and giving big "War Eagles", or just watching it all in air conditioned comfort on my TV justs gets the old motor running big-time!

There is simply nothing like college football for bringing a large group of people together with a common purpose--to beat the other team! Fortunately, that fever is usually kept in some perspective and most people realize it is just a game. Enjoy the moment, but then let it go. When the rivalry gets too intense, it is a real turnoff for me. The Auburn-Bama rivalry is in that category. Too much real hatred for me. I truly enjoy the Auburn-Georgia rivalry. Intense, but not really mean. It is fun every year and a true "back-yard brawl". The teams are so familiar that the visiting team has the winning margin in the series at both schools!

I should close by saying I do try to not get too carried away as a fan. I know one can obsess over football and spend too much time with it to the detriment of other more important things. I am closing this blog and going down for my daily Bible reading right now. I also spend quality time being with or thinking about my granddaughter Leah--and even her parents and my other children--old "what's their names". See, I am a fan--but not a fanatic!