Football

Here We Go Again!

They say there are a couple of things in life that are inevitable; death and taxes. Well let me add another, football season! Like clockwork it arrives in towns large and small every year and when it's rolling along there are tremendous numbers of fans and supporters of their favorite teams.

Over the years I've written about the beginning of football season and every year I tell myself "this year I'll just let it slide." However, every year the magnitude of interest seems to have grown. I'm not talking just about those who love the sport but ones who couldn't care less about it as well. In recent years there have been several marketing campaigns geared to the non-fan. Special "football widows" sales, discount sales that run on football days and even classes for women who feel they need to know more about the game so they can carry on a decent conversation with a football fan. I'll take my hat off for that group; at least they try to get into it!

Now for the fans. Pre-season is always long for both the players and fans of the professional game in that there seem to be too many meaningless games played. There are actually reasons for those games from the coaching standpoint; that's how they determine who is going to start and who is going to get cut and send on their way. For the owners it's another way to bring in revenue without having to pay "game day" salaries that kick in during the regular season and the pre-season is also necessary for stadium personal, the vendors, the team physicians, the logistical coordinators and the front office staff. They fine tune their game as do the players. But that is the pro game, they leave little to chance.

However, there are legions of fans that care only about amateur football; from the pee wee league teams to the major college teams and all the different levels in-between. They claim to be fans of "true sport" played for the love of the game only. No doubt there are those that play it for that, I did, but the higher you get on the major scene the more it becomes about making it to the pros where the name of the game is money so it's a debatable issue.

Nevertheless after this horribly long off season and pre season the pros are going at it. Already there have been major upsets and predictions out the window but it's on. For amateurs and scholastic teams it's also in high gear and as some of you readers know, your team is going great guns or learning the hard lesson of being out manned and out played. For some this season is loaded with hope and promise and for others it's gonna be a long, long season. But the true fan will stick by their team. They know the players are doing their best to make their fans proud and we fans must realize that. It is the season for joy and heartbreak but it's a wonderful part of life and "here we go again!"

To reach Rick Schultze email: yarick@pioneer.net