Hype? Maybe. Energy? Sure. Fun? Ok.
It's homecoming weekend. Living near a college town you can't avoid the buzz of a homecoming weekend. But this weekend has brewed the perfect storm. Our team is undefeated, rated 11th (however they figure that...). We're playing the #1 ranked team, the Oklahoma Sooners - a burr in our side for sure. And some ESPN show decided to broadcast live from our quad - on our campus... some crazy folks were there by 2:00am to get their spot to watch the spectacle. I was happily in bed.
The whole town has an almost palpable energy to it. Funny what sports will do to people. What makes a football game played by college age kids so incredibly unifying? Is it the thrill of possible victory - the idea of defeating another team representing another region of the US - a sort of civilized dual? Is it because so many are connected to the school? It's my alma mater and yes I'm wearing my school colors today when I usually truly don't pay any attention nor do I look back fondly on my college experience. Is it the *beauty* of the game itself? Nostalgia? Who knows.
I feel this energy more with baseball - I could spend my whole summer at the stadium if time and finances allowed... but why? Interesting psychology behind the whole phenomenon of sports... guess that's why folks become sports psychologists. There certainly is a misplacement of value on something that we could more than likely live without (although I argue that if we didn't have sports we'd find something else to compete with each other about.)
Anyway - we're just a few minutes from kickoff on national television (which we don't have television so I'll be listening a bit on the radio)...and if we win I hope the town can handle the excitement. Regardless of the reasoning behind it... Go Tigers!
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