Football Mania

My son plays football.

No, not just plays. LIVES. Eats, sleeps, exercises football.

When he was born, he wasn't going to ever play football. I had worked too hard for too long on that brain. Besides, I had a football history. My brothers played football. I watched, standing next to my mother watching them play football. My mother was a possessed woman when my brothers were on the field. Standing, never sitting- she was way too into the game to stay seated. When she would get excited, she would grab my arm. And yank. And yank and yank and yank. My shoulder sockets have never recovered.

When he was little, we lived "at the north". Northerners play soccer. Good ol' tackle football doesn't really exist until boys are a little older.

We returned to Georgia when Boy was in fourth grade. All his classmates played football, so he wanted to as well. And an obsession was born.

He lifts weights all year. He eats right all year. He stays in shape all year. For football.

Doesn't hurt that he's good at it. He the starting fullback and one of the starting outside linebackers. If we could just get some weight on him- he's been stuck at 5'10' and 160# for a year now, and the coaches would like to see him nearer 200. And, oh, the bruises, hematomas, scrapes and gouges he comes home with. Broken thumbs, high ankle sprains, trips to the doctor, advil, x-rays, tape, padding, wraps, epsom salts, whirlpools. But it doesn't stop him.

The problem is that his playing football has created a monster. Me. I have become obsessed. I even went to Georgia's "Football 101 for Women" camp this summer. I played center, so I would get to know more about what Boy does, and how his teammates help him. It was the most fun I've had in years. And, yes, those Georgia linemen are the size of Sub-Zero refrigerators, and Coach Richt is just as nice in person as he seems. But that's another story- I just sent off my registration for next year's camp.

I stand. I don't sit. I'm way too into the game to stay seated. When I get excited, I grab Grumpy Guy's arm. And yank.

I have become my mother.