Born and raised in Northern California, with 3 brothers and son of a Chicagoan, sports has been a major part of my life. I grew up playing baseball and football since I could remember. In fact I played little league before I followed the Major Leagues. The first little league team was the Dodgers so that became my favorite team. I grew up with Fernando Valenzuela, Steve Sax, Orel Hershiser as some of my favorite Dodgers. My favorite year of baseball was 1988 when Hershiser and Kirk Gibson’s heroics beat the heavily favored Oakland A’s. This could be the greatest upset in baseball history as the Dodgers had probably the weakest lineup in World Series history.
Although we lived in the Bay Area, my father, loyal to Chicago teams such as the Bears and Cubs didn’t push the local teams 49ers, Raiders, A’s and Giants.
My childhood summers were spent with my grandparents who lived in Colorado Springs. Thus I began to follow the Denver Broncos. Being a Denver Broncos fan was painful. No other quarterback was as fun to watch as John Elway. He made plays when there wasn’t anything. He had more come from behind victories than any other QB. He was the greatest one-man show the NFL ever had. That was the fun of being a Denver Broncos fan. The bad was that I can remember watching Denver make their first Super Bowl in my lifetime only to be outclassed by the Giants and then get run over by the Redskins. Next was losing in the greatest route of Super Bowl history to 49ers. I can still remember wearing my Denver jacket to school the day after since it was the only jacket I had and getting the business.
My parents moved us to Houston, Texas when I was a teenager and that is when I witnessed first hand the powerful sports culture in the South. Football is king in Texas. In the Fall, High School auditoriums echo the cheers and music during an afternoon pep rally to support the local team.
I learned that Texans are born with football in mind. High school varsity might be as far you go but it’s the greatest time of your life. High School football is only the beginning. College football continues the passion. In Texas you are either a Texas fan or an Aggie fan, a decision you make while entering junior high school. There is a passion about high school and college and even pro football that I didn’t experience while growing up California.
College athletes are stars in Texas. Everyone knows and loves guys like Vince Young and Colt McCoy. Where else do you see fans wearing I heart VY. Aaron Rodgers and Carson Palmer were great college QBs but dads aren’t thinking I wish my daughter could meet them. Not to mention that they wouldn’t draw a crowd in your local mall.
I have not even mentioned America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys. Pastors, Priests and other clergymen and women know that service has to be done before noon and with time for their worshippers to get home. Only in Houston will you find Texans that hate the Cowboys but there is not a shortage of fans. Let’s hope your pro team didn’t lose on Sunday or your Monday workday will feel like the worst day.
Now I’m back in the Bay Area where I continue my love for the games I grew up watching. Today you'll find me catching a game, beating my opponent in fantasy sports, following pop culture(a guilty pleasure I'm sometimes ashamed to admit), singing along with a great band and never turning down a trip to Las Vegas.
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