I live in Texas where football is a religion, and that's just downright stupid. I like to watch football, have been doing it a long time, and I like some teams. I went to school at both Mississippi State University and Ole Miss, undergraduate and graduate school, and I feel compelled to support their football endeavors. Sometimes that's not easy since neither school has been all that good in past years. If either of them end the season with a break even record, that's acceptable . . . and that's the way it should be. Even on years those two school come up short, I still like them . . . but it's not because of their football programs. Without my education that came mostly from them, I would've had a much more difficult life than I've had.
But . . . I still like watching football, and I like seeing "my" schools win. I'm having a ball this year 'cause State and Ole Miss are undefeated so far. This past weekend, State beat Texas A&M and Ole Miss beat Alabama. Being a dutiful Mississippian by raising, I don't like Alabama. Being a Texan now with preferences, I don't like A&M either, and I don't know a damn thing about the place other than that they've got the most obnoxious fans on the planet. Ever hear those Aggie jokes? Well, folks, they're not really jokes in my opinion. I usually enjoy seeing Texas schools win, when they're playing out of state foes, but I've got my druthers about which in-state teams I like best.
I lived in Oklahoma for 30 years, so I've got loyalties there too. Watching OU get whacked by TCU yesterday was a little disheartening, but I sort of like TCU too. The fact is, I don't get unhappy these
days when any team loses, even my favorite teams. I don't get delighted at any team's loss, unless maybe if it's Alabama or Auburn, and then I have to grin a little. I'm old enough now to accept football as what it is . . . a game, just a game. And the longer I live, the more concerned I get about those folks out there who live football. Ok, go ahead and have fun with it, but don't take it too much to heart. In case you missed it the first time, I'll say it again: It's just a game.
Somebody needs to get that point over with a helluva lot of colleges in this country. Far too much emphasis is placed on football. As a point of reference, do you know anything at all about Notre Dame other than its football team? Do you even know where it is, what town and state? Do you know anything at all about the academic programs at schools like USC, Oregon, Ole Miss, Ohio State, Miss. State, Auburn, or South Carolina? Here's a news flash for you, if you don't already know. Some of those universities that play good football have academic programs much better than their football team. Even if Alabama won all it's games for a hundred years, the football program there wouldn't measure up to the academic success of that university . . . and that, partner, ain't no game.
Here's the deal about football or any other sport, about why you should never take it too seriously. Yeah, I'm an Ole Miss fan, also a Miss. State fan, and they're undefeated right now. It won't stay that way because a winner is only a winner for one weekend. They beat two teams this past weekend they weren't supposed to beat, and the very same thing may happen to them this coming weekend. At least one of those teams won't finish undefeated because they play each other the last game of the year. If both teams have good records by then, say like 8-3 or 9-2, I'll be happy with that, and I won't care who wins when they play each other. IT'S JUST A GAME, DAMMIT! The good news is, win or lose on the football field, they'll both still be a couple of good universities.
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