In Praise of College Football

**I wrote this yesterday but had issues with getting it to post...sorry for the delayed timing!**

Saturdays in the fall are my among my favorite things in the world. I can't get enough of them. It's college football time and anyone who knows our family knows how huge this is and what this means. For those of you who don't, I'll explain.
College Football Saturdays mean that we spend our day watching football. We don't make plans, we don't go anywhere, except maybe the store to purchase our yummy football foods that we fill up on all day long. We don't watch any other TV until late at night when our games are over. Saturday's are for football. Normally, when our kids play for Mascoutah's community organization, we have to record our games so that we can attend theirs- but even still, it's football. I was raised this way. My parents taught me this insane mania. My dad once declined being the best man in his friend's wedding because the friend planned a September ceremony. My mom regularly turns down events and get togethers that interfere with our team's games. Our team by the way, is the awesome South Carolina Gamecocks. I am lucky that I married someone who shares my intense obsession with football. I'll call it a passion. It sounds better. Over the years, we've heard our share of teasing and irritated comments from friends and neighbors who don't seem to understand...who wonder why we won't attend the birthday party or gathering they've invited us to. I try my best to explain to them, but somehow "I can't come because my family is watching football" just sounds sort of....well, shallow.
It's not JUST the awesome-ness of the game that I treasure however. It's the awesome-ness that RESULTS from spending our fall Saturdays this way. On Saturday, Albert and I are together. In the same room, often on the same piece of furniture, sometimes cuddled up in the same space. Our children, for the most part, are gathered around us. There is no where to go, because other plans are off limits. We eat and drink and sit together and cheer together. All day long. With each other and with our children. It's wonderful. And now as an adult, I can't help but wonder if this is part of what my own parents found so attractive about spending their Saturdays watching football.
Albert and I are both passionate about our respective teams. I scream weekly for South Carolina. Albert does the same for Tennessee. We pull for each other's teams most of the time, and indeed for the whole SEC conference. But just as importantly, we spend those days next to each other, shutting out all the stress, responsibilities and cares of the world...those can wait till Monday.
So today, I'm making Chocolate chip cookies while we watch our games. Later, I'll make tacos while we watch South Carolina battle Navy. It's a beautiful day, slightly chilly. But we have blankets and lots of bodies close by. And this is why I won't venture out...this is why all invitations for today will have to take a rain check. Today in fact,the whole world will have to take a rain check. It's football time in the Fontenot house.