22nd
Bengals Season.
Friends,
One of the most wonderful times of the year is upon us, football season. Now, I may, by definition, be a geek. An awkard geek at that, but, a few years ago I defied all rules of geekdom and fell in love with team sports. Specifically, football. More specifically, the Cincinnati Bengals.
How did this happen?? Well, it all began when I was 7 years old. I was sitting on my Granny’s green, shag carpeted floor, in my Batman pajamas that had the feet attached to them. I was staring into her television, watching Ickey Woods and Boomer Esiason play in the Super Bowl. This was my foundation.
I’ve always been a fan of the Bengals since then, often getting mocked in Junior High for wearing a Bengals Starter coat (when every else was wearing the Charlotte Hornets.) It took me a bit to fully understand the game, and I must credit John Madden Football for the Sega Genesis for teaching me the real ins and outs of how it was played. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that playing video games isn’t productive. My fandom stayed quiet for a long time, and didn’t really kick in full force until a few years ago, when I genuinely realized that it’s okay to let that “man gene” out every once and a while. Carson had just been drafted, and Kitna was still our starting quarterback. I fell in love with the game all over again.
Now, another season is about to begin and with it come the yearly quizzical looks from friends and family who would never have pegged me a football fan. The question “why?” is constantly asked, so I thought I’d take a second to explain it.
“Why do you like football, and the Cincinnati Bengals in particular?”
Well, I love playing the game. I’ve been an active person for all of my life. I began playing hockey when I was 12, and quickly moved on to aggressive skating, which gave me my first career directly out of high school. People don’t seem to make the connection. For a lanky, awkward dude, I genuinely enjoy playing sports. Unfortunately, I didn’t have encouraging parents. They only saw a kid who was book smart, and good with computers, so why would he want to play any sports? No one gave me that option. No one said “hey, why don’t you try football?” So, I didn’t. This isn’t blaming anyone at all, just the way things happened. It wasn’t until later in life, post college years, that I was secure enough in myself to realize that I could be a dang good wide reciever. So, now, I play flag football with my much larger brothers, and have a blast trying to make the post route catch without running into a car.
The comradery. Nothing brings dudes together quicker than rooting for their home team. It transcends race, as well as gender. I think we can learn a lot as people from taking part in a community of fans. Something so simple as rooting for the same team can break down religous, political and societal walls. It’s hard to explain if you’ve never experienced it, and if you’re a “geek” or “outcast” or what have you, you’ve probably never given it a fair shake. There is something genuine and sincere about the fun that takes place when watching, or playing, a football game. I feel like a lot of the world doesn’t want to take the time out of their life for fun, for true, genuine fun. People get too wrapped up in their houses and cars and need for more material things that they see something as simple as watching a football game as a waste of time. Here is my peice of advice: Fun is never a waste of time. Especially when it is had around good friends.
This football season isn’t just a time to root for your home team. It’s an opportunity to spend time around those you love, sharing in triumphant moments, and encouraging one another in the wake of defeat. So, enjoy the community that a little game with a ball can create, and always remember: WHO DEY!!!
-C
