Time For Some Football

Willie the Wildcat, our mascot on a Gameday

Those of you who have been reading my blog for some time know that I am a big Kansas State football fan. Ken and I attend all the home games and at least one away game each season. Last January, we went to see our Wildcats play in the The Cotton Bowl game in Dallas.

My two oldest granddaugthers with me before the 2012 Cotton Bowl

The season opens tomorrow with a 6 p.m. game vs Missouri State.  That means we will head for the stadium around 4. It's a 5 minute drive from home, so aren't we lucky? Many people drive hours to attend each game. The stadium parking lot will be filled with purple flags fluttering in the breeze and tantalizing aromas from the many grills. There will be music blasting over loudspeakers, the K-State band will march through the fans playing the Fight song, kids clad in purple jerseys will be tossing footballs, and there will be much feasting on tailgate foods and beverages of all kinds.

Our four grandkids before the first game a few years ago

The pre-game festivities in the stadium will have the fans revved up and ready to go, and when the team comes running onto the field bearing both the American and K-State flag, there'll be a lump in my throat just as there is every year. We'll watch the game and see who is doing great, who needs a little more practice and exchange thoughts with the fans in our section. Home teams are expected to win their opener which is why nearly all schedule a smaller school with a lesser football program. Our team needs the practice, needs this game to get the jitters over, and it's a great opportunity for a smaller school to play at a larger stadium with a winning program. Makes for positives all around.

So what does all this have to do with my writing world? Quite a bit actually. I've found a lot to write about related to football (and basketball) games at K-State and the away games we go to. I find an amazing number of interesting people among the fans who may one day end up in a story. 

Tomorrow, we'll be wearing our purple shirts, cheering the Wildcats and enjoying one of the great American pastimes. A lot of women cannot stand football, but I grew up in a family with a dad and three brothers, so I learned to enjoy it, and now, it's something Ken and I do together. We've spent many an hour watching either at the stadium or on TV. The man doesn't know how lucky he is!

How about you? Like it or hate it? Why?