Offseason and Offspring

You know the feeling you get the week before Christmas or the week before you go on vacation? Its kind of a care-free feeling, that no matter what happens, its ok because its Christmas next week. If you have a really bad day at work you just think, “It’s ok, I only have two more days until I’m on vacation.” That is kind of how I have felt the past week with the kickoff of college football season. I mean I have been straight giddy this week. Although, I fully understand the contradictions of manliness using the words “football” and “giddy” together, but I don’t know how else to describe it. It has constantly been on my mind. We suffer through months without football, pretending to care about baseball, basketball, and maybe even jump on the USA soccer bandwagon. It’s all just a temporary fix that leaves a stale taste in my life.  I believe God gave us summer blockbuster movies and sunny days during the football offseason to help distract ourselves from the heart-wrenching season of college football.

This football season is even more special to me. I get to sit with Noah during his first UGA football game. This is one of those monumental moments that you put in the scrapbook during the first few years of a child’s life. First words, first time walking, first time sleeping through the night, first tooth, and first University of Georgia football game. 

Of course, as soon as I heard the ultrasound tech say, “Oh it’s definitely a boy” I immediately had visions of walking into Sanford Stadium with my son and watching his eyes gaze in the wonderment of the gridiron.  I can only pray that he will know the importance of great calls by Larry Munson such as “Run, Lindsay! Run!” and “He ran straight through two men!” It’s a special moment in a Sheehan’s life when he first sees the Red and Black run through that tunnel and onto that beautiful field. Unfortunately this game, we will only be watching the Dawgs on TV. But he will have his chance. One of my favorite memories with my dad was the first time he decided I was old enough to go to the Georgia- Florida game in Jacksonville. I remember walking around staring at the intense stupidity that comes out of the rivalry, sitting on a street curb sharing a turkey leg, almost wanting to cry leaving the game and my dad patting me on the back saying, “We’ll get ‘em next year”.

There are few greater bonds between father and sons than sports and sharing that passion with each other.  Danielle and I refer to Noah as our “Little Lion Man” but he’s still our little Bulldog. Blazer or Bulldog, Red and Black runs through his blood. 

                                     Gettin Pumped for Saturday

                                Not Noah (yet)