I Missed Out On the Football Gene
During this cold and flu season, my community now suffers from a new epidemic, Football Fever. The home team, the Denver Broncos, will try on Sunday to capture the coveted Super Bowl trophy. This event has become a new holiday in America. Many in my family plan to celebrate by hosting parties and wearing their Peyton Manning jerseys. Me, not so much.
Football was not a big deal in my early days. I do not recall anything near this football mania back then, so it never became a part of my psyche. Football was just something my Dad had played in his youth and later watched on TV. He liked football.
My father had been a receiver on the Loveland High School and the Colorado State College of Education teams. His long arms pulled in the ball many times for touchdowns.
After that, he became a life-long fan of the Green Bay Packers. My brother and I used to bet him a penny on their games. In the 50’s, we usually won our bets. Consequently, we were interested only in the final game score, not in watching the play on our grainy, black-and-white television.
My brother did not follow our Dad into the football world. He preferred individual sports like bicycling and cross-country skiing. Today, like me, he does not follow the sport. My Dad remained the sole football fan in my family. He did not pass the Love For Team Sports gene on to us.
But now I live in the Denver area, a sports-crazy place if ever there was one. Everyone seems to be a Bronco fan. I see orange clothing and decorations everywhere.
Will I participate in the frenzy? Well, I did join in the extended family’s annual Super Bowl pool, which I have actually won a couple of times over the years. I purchased some junk food to eat during the game. While it is on, I plan to catch up on my reading and watch the commercials and half-time show. For old time’s sake, I might bet a penny on the game outcome with my grandchildren. They definitely have Football Fever.
It’s not only football – Denver has the dubious honor of having the most pro sports teams of any city – and I think the only city with 7 major pro sports teams:
Baseball
Rockies
Denver Zephyrs -minor
Basketball
Nuggets
Chill – womens
14ers – minor
Football
Crush – arena
Pirates – minor
Ice – indoor
Dream – lingerie
Broncos
Hockey
Avalanche
Eagles – minor
Cutthroats – minor
Lacrosse
Outlaws
Mammoth
Soccer
Rapids
Dynamite – arena
Polo
Denver Polo
Croquet
Denver Croquet Club
Volleyball
Team Evergreen
Rugby
Glendale Raptors
Denver Highlanders
Denver Barbarians
Cricket
Jaguars
Water Polo
Force – womens
Curling
Denver Curling Club
I am not a football fan either. Our high school was too small to have a team & I never learned about it. I do enjoy the commercials & snack foods!