It's been a long, long summer. The Braves have been out of the playoff hunt for some time now and I quickly found myself looking forward to football season.
I don't think there is anything more uniquely American than our love of football. For many it consumes our entire weekend--high school on Friday nights, college on Saturdays (or Fridays, or Thursdasy, and sometimes even Wednesdays) and NFL on Sundays and Monday nights. I love just chillin' at home on Sundays watching whatever game is on and watching my fantasy teams rack up the points. I might be inspired enough to do a load of laundry or clean up the kitchen with one eye on the game, but whatever the circumstance football is on my mind. I find myself looking forward to it on Fridays at work, or on Saturday mornings while doing a chore or two.
I'm not sure why it is we love football so much. Maybe is the spectacle of the game. The physical demand on the players is so great that they can only play once a week, so the build up is half the fun. Maybe it's the strategy. Coaches spend countless hours studying their opponents, developing game plans, drawing up plays and meeting with their players. Maybe it's the athleticism. Players spend countless hours studying playbooks, practicing plays, lifting weights, conditioning their bodies, selling their endorsed products... oh, wait, that's got nothing to do with football. Maybe it's the pagentry. Grand stadiums are built, fans adorn their bodies with their teams colors, parking lots are packed with tailgaters, fireworks and giant helmets welcome players onto the field.
I don't know what excitely attracts us to this game. I suppose it's different for everyone. I for one love to watch a well excecuted gameplan by my favorite team, or gasp as the quarterback the sends a bomb down the field. Whatever it is, I'm ready for some football.
