What Football Means to Me
by Mike Pisciotta
It’s FINALLY that time of year! Opening weekend! The grass is fresh, the players amped and hope springs eternal for that elusive item called the Lombardi Trophy.
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Here we are in September. The year is almost three quarters over. For me, football carries a lot of different meanings. It means my old man naps on Saturdays get bookended with yard work and the NCAA. It means summer is ending. For me that means that sigh of relief is coming that my days soon will top out in double digit temperatures!
NFL Sundays mean ESPN or NFL Network when I get up. I pour a cup of coffee, log on to my fantasy football teams and check injury reports. I’m under a lot of pressure in one of my leagues as a two-time champ! I’ve already put the league on three-peat alert so now I have to put my money where my keyboard is! Sundays mean IHOP takeout or hitting the kitchen to cook up a nice plate of hash browns and bacon so my keester is firmly planted on the couch at 10 AM.
NFL Sunday Ticket is a WONDERFUL thing! I carefully scan through the listing of early games to pick the one I want to watch (usually a divisional rival) until our boys come on at 1. Got my laptop in front of me, my cell phone on a full charge and the surround sound blaring. You’ll find me tweeting through the game, posting in “San Diego Chargers Fans” on Facebook and texting friends while missing not a single play.
Even commercials are a wonderful thing on Charger Sundays. A chance to hit the kitchen or a bio quickie. Friends know not to call me during the game. I either won’t answer, or I’ll tell them they can hang up when they bitch about hearing the game blasting through my phone.
And then there’s my poor dog. Such a loyal companion for a 14 1/2 year old. Perfectly content to lay by my feet until things don’t go the way I would like them to go. First it’s that look. If you’re a dog parent, you know what I mean. If you’re not, it’s that “you’re not gonna throw something at me, are you?” look. Then it’s “screw this, I’m outta here” and back to the other side of the house. Dog’s probably thinking I’m a nut job!
I get psyched for football listening to SiriusXM NFL Radio daily at work. I’ve probably learned as much from watching games as I have by listening to the various former players, coaches and front office folks who are on the air. It also means hearing the quarterback I love to hate who plays back east who won’t be named, but will play at the Murph later this season on my drive home from work.
If only the NFL didn’t have to play during Christmas month and a half. Anyone else want to hurl at the constant barrage of materialism? Frankly, as a single man, I’m insulted by the “buy her this and that” message. Thankfully, that mercifully passes come PLAYOFF TIME!!!!!
Yes, our NFL Sundays are wonderful. They’re magical. Sometimes they’re downright irritating. Thankfully, we have Mike McCoy and Tom Telesco 2.0 instead of those other guys.
What does football season mean to you?
Cross-posted from the Chargers fan blog BoltBlitz.com
graphic via shutterstock.com