College football starts around Labor Day weekend.
And the National Football League kicks off Thursday after Labor Day.
America even has its own Football Night!
Truth be told, many football loving Americans have multiple football nights.
Sunday night on NBC after 2 full games in the afternoon and whatever highlights or snippets we catch on the RedZone channel. Monday Night Football, of course. And, starting sometime after baseball season ends, college games can be found on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights plus all day Saturday with a doubleheader (or more) that night.
Yep, we love us some football.
My folks told me I was the one who lured them into watching the Green Bay Packers after they discovered the fuzzy black and white pictures of the Green and Gold kept their colicky baby from crying so much.
Janesville Craig football teams were respectable back when I was a student there, but basketball was what gave the school its athletic identity.
I've watched football for a long time. While in high school, and even before, there weren't games every day of the week. There were maybe two college games available each Saturday on ABC, but not on any other networks. Sunday afternoons were for football, but the nights belonged to families and the wonderful world of Disney.
Later, I enjoyed a season of calling high school football on KJJC radio in Osceola, Iowa. The analyst and I headed out to games around the listening area early so I could hook into our telephone connection via landline. The station would play the pre-recorded coaches shows I taped earlier in the week and at 7 p.m. we were on the air. I don't think I was very good, but it was a blast.
Years later, I got another opportunity. At Lutheran High School of Indianapolis, I was asked to announce the home games for our new and growing program. A member of the staff, Brent - a math teacher - operated the school board and helped me identify the players with the ball and who made the tackles. We had a blast - more fun when the home team won, but fun win or lose.
I'll admit to "calling" parts of the games from my easy chair, but it's not the same as sitting behind the mic when the home team gets to the sticks and growling, "and that's a Saints.... fiiiirrrrrst downnnnn!"
The closest I came to playing was in middle school when I barely got on the field for the Flag Football games. I guess I didn't have a nose for the game back then, partly because I preferred to keep my nose in one piece.
Backyard football was more my speed and we had some spirited games in what I liked to call Stump, Weed Memorial Stadium.
Now the games are on the TV, at the high school around the corner, in Camp Randall, and Lambeau Field.
I'm ready; are you?
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