College Football

Jon and I have spent the last two Saturdays at the University of Idaho football games.   Last week we took Maggie, who was so happy to be able to scream uninhibited.  This week it was Moira's turn.  She made friends with mascot Joe Vandal and got "cameraed" by the film crew.  We sat down on the lowest benches close to the field and the 30 yard line.  We sat in the student section and right behind the football team.  Here are a few things I observed.

1.  Don't stand up off your bench or you will never sit down again.  Not only do students stand on your seat right behind you, closing in on your space bubble, but some students who have painted their bodies start to flake and it ends up all over your seat.

2.  Speaking of body paint... I have never been surrounded by so many shirtless alphabet letters.  There was an I, D, A, H, O and the occasional V.  One "I" in particular seemed extremely uncomfortable standing next to an 8-year-old.

3.  The girls really got into the chants, "Go Vandals Go" and such.  You really have to watch out for the bad call chants though.  Moira got so used to repeating the crowds chants that she just about joined in on the "B.S." call chant.

4.  Several of the players on the football team are religious.  I noticed a few praying and one in particular knelt down on the sidelines before the game to play and cross himself.  He then proceeded to spout potty mouth words at a ref and use the Lord's name in vain.  I don't think that was the religious part.

5.  The strangest observation of all had to be the phone.  On the sidelines, right about at the 50-yard line and behind the players was an old corded phone on a table.  At one point one of the players was speaking on it for about 5 minutes.  Who was he talking to?  His coaches were all on the field.  Did they patch through his mom so she could tell him to stop running the plays right into the defensive line?  Who knows?