A LOYAL VIKINGS FAN IN MY OLD NEIGHBORHOOD
For the past
two weeks I’ve loved watching nearly everything about the Olympics and I feel a
little sad about it ending today. I
can’t believe how excited I got watching water polo and beach volleyball and
women’s soccer with my grandchildren. I’d never paid much attention to those
sports in the past. My interests always
focused on swimming, gymnastics, track, and basketball. I still marvel at the dedication
and passion of the majority of the athletes; they’re truly amazing. They deserve every bit of the glory and admiration that comes their way.
A LITTLE PACKERS FUN, INCLUDING MY MOM, AARON RODGERS, THE CURRENT QUARTERBACK, AND A TRUE-BLUE FAN FROM EUROPE.
Now, being
one who truly enjoys sports and the spirit of competition, I’m ready to turn my
attention to football. Living in
Minnesota Vikings country, you’d think that it could get awfully lonely here,
being a Packers fan. But the truth is
that nearly every day I see people of all ages wearing Packers shirts or hats,
or in one case, even having a yellow and green car with a Packers flag. I know that it drives a lot of Vikings fans
crazy. I’ve been asked a few times why I
don’t switch my allegiance to the Vikings now that I’ve lived here for ages. After all, I cheer for Minnesota’s
professional basketball and baseball teams. There’s no easy answer except to
say that the Packers are a legend in Wisconsin and parts of the Midwest. Maybe part of that is because Green Bay is
the smallest city in the National Football League and the only one publicly owned.
Its fans went through a lot of lean years in the 1950’s. And then there’s my mother, an amazing lady
and diehard fan who even sent Christmas cards to Bart Starr, the star
quarterback of the 1960’s, and his wife. My parents always received a card and
note in return. My mother even kept some
of them over the years. Even though she’s
no longer alive, I always think of her and her love for football and the
Packers in particular. My ten-year old
granddaughter has turned into a Packers fan as well, much to the dismay of her
eight-year old brother and mom and dad.
LAMBEAU FIELD, HOME OF THE PACKERS--MY LITTLE SOUVENIR
Although
American football doesn’t have the worldwide appeal of the Olympics, it’s
exciting to watch on any given Sunday.
So, let the games and the hoopla begin!
I always hear the argument that football is more exciting than soccer because there is more scoring. Well, if soccer would generate seven points per goal, the difference would be negligible. Then there is the fact that soccer has virtually continuous play action for the entire 90 minutes of the game. In football, players stand around for most of the time. I used a stop watch on several occasions, and actual play action (from the snap of the ball to the end of the play) amounted very consistently to between 10 and 15 minutes. Now what is more exciting?
ReplyDelete