I Heart Football!!

I come from a long line of football fans. My Grandfather loved to watch Tulsa Football, my PawPaw loved to watch the Dallas Cowboys, and my Dad has been a football fan for as long as I can remember. I have vivid memories of going to Arkansas Razorback games as a child wearing my big, plastic Razorback hat and calling the hogs. I also remember sitting with my dad in his recliner watching bowl games all day long on New Years.

Then we moved to Texas. Dallas, TX. And my love of Dallas Cowboy football began. I remember my Dad taking me to my first Cowboy game. I was in 2nd grade and he bought me a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader sweatsuit (not the short shorts and halter) which I wore proudly to the game. I came away with my first Cowboy foam finger!!! I was so excited. I still remember how BIG the stadium was and how exciting the whole place felt that night. Danny White and Tony Dorsett were my favorites....then Troy Aikman came onto the scene and I was hooked forever. (I won't say any more about that only that I had a life size poster of him in my room when I was in high school and college)

There were several times the Cowboys played on Sunday nights that the Wagoner family quickly slid out the side door as Sunday evening services ended and made our way to Texas Stadium for the game. All that to say.....we ALL love football!! I really think these pictures are funny becasue without being planned, we had on the "family uniform" this day as we all ate lunch together.....and watched the game.

So, you can imagine it nearly broke my dad's heart when I married a 49er's fan in the 90's. It has been an uphill battle, but now that T.O. is no longer a cowboy, Rob will no longer loudly encourage Dallas's demise.

Please note that in this picture, Rob is NOT wearing the family uniform of blue, silver, and stars, but he is wearing a blue"ish" shirt!! Thankfully I married into a football loving family, however not all of us are Dallas Cowboy fans. We do, however, agree on the Sooners!

So, last night, when my tutor stayed after class and ate dinner with us, she was in for a treat. Our after dinner entertainment was the taped Cowboy/Giant game from Sunday. Needless to say she was at a loss for words at the size and opulence of the new stadium, of course so were the commentators, and she couldn't believe how big all the players were. At one point Rob told her that the biggest men were around 350 pounds. She gasped and said they could flick her like a bug. As the game started I began explaining the game to her in her language. That proved to be challenging, but by the end of the first quarter she was excitedly cheering for the Niu Zai Ren (cowboys) and booing the Hen Gao Ren (very tall men ....aka giants). She jumped up and down when the Cowboys scored and sat on the edge of her seat every time a 3rd and long came up. I couldn't believe how much she got into the game. It was a fun evening, until the last 4 seconds of the game, and I was happy to share this with my sweet friend.

This is one of my favorite pictures because my grandmother is in the middle of this picture, who has learned to watch football after all of these years becasue "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em". Here she is last year at her first NFL game, along with my niece, Reese, who is also enjoying her first football game.
Football has arrived again after the long absence and with it comes the hope that fall is right behind, though in our city it is WAY behind. It reminds me of so many fun family events and shared memories, like my mom in her Cowboy hat.....ahhh it is no coinincidence we will be home for football season 2011!!