Photo Courtesy of Me, Shawn Barbour
Football season is upon us. The excitement, the pageantry, the parties in the parking lot. I thought I would take the time to talk about what the start of the season means to me.
It means tailgating. Now, those of you who have followed me and know me know I’m a teetotaler. I still have fun tailgating. All the tasty food, the cornhole tournaments, throwing around the pigskin, all that is a blast. The best thing about it is just hanging out with friends and enjoying conversations about life or about the upcoming game.
It means anticipation. It’s like Christmas freaking morning except Santa is Bobby Petrino and you asked for a 12-0 season. There’s nothing like it. Optimism is high. All the goals we fans have are attainable. Your blood is rushing and sleep is hard to come by because of the excitement. All the pessimism and bitterness we felt at the end of last season is washed away by the hope for the new season.
It means touchdowns and train horns are on deck. I can already hear Sean Moth vibrantly yelling into the microphone, “Touchdowwwwwwn Cardinals!” I hear the train horn and the fireworks blasting. I see the highlight replayed upon the video board of the touchdown. Shivers run up my spine at the thought of this.
It means Twitter meltdowns and exuberance. Seeing guys like @masterdroo tweet out train horn. Seeing people think it’s the end of the world if UofL is down early then become filled with joy after victory. The discussion of plays both good and bad. It’s a camaraderie that we share. Just because we aren’t face to face doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate or be saddened together. The start of the season makes me ready for all of the shenanigans of the Twitterverse.
It means escape. Finally, we can escape the ugly talk of scandals and the finish of last football season. It means we can, for at least a while, stop with the poisonous talk of politics. Instead, we can talk about Lamar breaking ankles and scoring TDs. Discussion can be had about Jaire’s unbelievable interceptions. Talk can turn to how Blanton Creque has become the new Art Carmody. We can escape reality and all the crap that comes with it, for autumn is here and with it football.
It means togetherness. Yeah, we all have different view points about things. Politics, religion, and pretty much everything else. However, the one thing we all share is a love of UofL football. It unites us and bonds us. Something as trivial as a football can bring together those who are otherwise so far apart. With the dawn of the new season comes the reconnecting of the fanbase.
This is what the start of the season, and the season itself, means to me.
