first and.....whatever

I went to the Hub football game Friday night

     I have not been to many for the past couple of years.  Rain, vacation, whatever....the last two years I have missed a lot of games.
    I made it a point to go see the team this year, especially since one of my favorite students is drum major!
    Ah...the thrill of Friday Night Football.
    Darn near got run over in the parking lot by a crazy lady driving a blue Mustang convertible......
    Bought a $2 bottle of water, which for some reason surprised me....usually they buy water from Walmart on Walgreen's and sell it for $1.  But it was cold, and I needed it to wash down my pork chop sandwich.
    Believe it or not, that used to be my motivation for going!  I love the pork chop sandwiches!  I usually get a sandwich and a popcorn and I am good for the night.  The one Friday night was every bite as good as I remember.  (Notice the pun....every bite instead of every bit...pretty clever, huh?)
    When I was teaching and would go to a game I would get surrounded by fifth and sixth graders.  I don't think they were used to seeing their teachers out in public.
    Last night only one child said hello to me.....she was a high schooler.  No little kids saying hello or visiting.  No parents either.
    To be honest, I don't like the first down call.  Seems a little much.  And the music that plays over the loudspeaker is an example of why I am hard of hearing....too  loud for my sensitive ears.  I was not the only one.  For some reason the recording stopped and people clapped.  Then it started again.  Then stopped and people clapped.  Whenever the recorded music stopped, people clapped.  It truly was a jungle out there....
    Parents behind me had a child...maybe four or five years old.  They were trying to explain the game to him and he was not getting it.  He was four or five.  One parent would use a football phrase and the little tyke would ask what it meant.  Halfway through the second quarter the dad said, "Just shut up for 10 minutes and watch the game. "  When the little one said something, the dad said, "I said shut up!"  Mom chimed in too...."You heard your dad, shut up and sit down."
    I felt sorry for the kid, and in a way for the parents.  They will have a lot of questions during the next 15 years.  And he won't shut up.
    As the band was finishing up at half time, the teams came out to warm up for the second half.  I thought of the Don McLean song...."while the teams were on the field, the marching band refused to yield."  I may have even started singing it to myself.
    I did see one person wearing a shirt that said "Fear the Hub."
    Now I am not so sure a hub is a thing to fear.  Maybe fear the tigers, or the pirates, or the demons....but a hub doesn't seem like it is going to put panic in an opponent's eyes.
    I left midway through the fourth quarter.  The Hubs were down 36-20 at that point, and didn't seem like they would be coming back.
    Jackie and I plan to go to homecoming... no, we won't be wearing formals.  Hopefully the results will better.