College Football!

Ah, college football season. Somehow this year, I’m not as jazzed or paranoid to miss an Ohio State Buckeye game. It didn’t help that the opening game was against my alma mater Bowling Green State University and quarterback (yes this will be dated in the future) J.T. Barrett made many records off the lowly Falcons. They aren’t lowly, Buckeyes are mean sons-of-bitches. That’s how they should be. Especially since this year the Big 10…as usual, is seen as a bunch of fluffsters. That they play jabroni teams. I mean…their schedule is weak. Never mind that these schedules were decided years in the past. Oh well. Can’t pleas them all. I was torn between my love of Ohio State football versus my allegiance to Bowling Green State. I quietly voiced my choice by NOT wearing my Buckeye jersey today. I’m good with that.

Anyhows…I did have my friend the Van Man come over to watch his (AP decided, NOT me) third best ever in the history of college football Alabama Crimson Tide play USC Trojans. I don’t like either team, but in this case, I think I went for the underdog of USC who were ranked 20^th and Tide are ranked #1. I have no problems with them being ranked 1 since I’ve always thought of that position as cursed. Many a year Buckeyes have been ranked 1 only to lose to the dumbest of teams. I always think it’s better to climb. It was good to see USC get humbled. Mostly because I didn’t attend their stupid fucking film school (wasn’t accepted). I have friends who are Trojan loyalist and it grates on me. Because they’re rich kids. And snobs. And cornballs about Southern Cali sports, to which I’ve always credited real football to cold weather (fuck you Texas).

There, the competitive nature of footballs is coming out in me again. It’s a good feeling. That’s the key word “feeling.” As in I can feel some emotion towards something that is tradition. I must’ve experienced deep nerve damage that hurt my ability to gauge emotion. To which I’ve compensated by talking louder and by waving my hands more. I think I know now why people get to be downers as they get older. See, this whole process of sports on a seasonal basis…well, I’ll be honest, this is the best time of year. And yet, I don’t feel that same swell in my heart for the game. People tell me, I just need to wait for the regular NFL to start. Well, I use to condition at the gym, the way NFL players would. Those days seem to be behind me. Downer. The other thing…it really doesn’t matter who wins or loses. In the end, the benefit goes to the school and the player who shows he can be of use later on in the pros. The rest of them…it’s just school again.

That’s another cycle that will never end. The young faces at these colleges are now the faces of children that are the age of which I am now old enough to be their father. In other words, I have no idea who they are anymore. In the movie business we hold onto those adolescent ideas of “hope” or “dreams” for a long time. As the years behind become the years ahead…you start to whittle down the options. And most of the time, you wouldn’t want to waste it watching people who are chasing their future.

Bragging rights also don’t seem all that rambunctious anymore. I use to be more rabid when it came to shutting people down with the greatness that is Ohio State Buckeye football. Now…I’m more certain their success doesn’t effect me in the least. But I still enjoy the occasional shit-talking. Of course, it’s only fun if people care.