The Game

My friend said that he is watching ‘the game’ tomorrow. I disagree. What he means is he will be watching “A” game. To say ‘THE GAME” sounds to me that this is a decisive game, not just a generic game. Even playoffs do not not define that this is a special game, otherwise there would not be another playoff next year. People came up with Miss State, Miss U.S.A., Miss America, Miss Galaxy, Miss Universe and so on.

With football, I am not going to waste my time on a game that is not THE game. So, what criteria would I need for “A” game to become “THE” game? (Sorry if I date myself but…) Imagine the Red Sox vrs the Redskins! Guys with wooden bats against guys with heavy padding. Now THAT I would watch because one team ot the other probably will not be playing again in their lifetime!

I am waiting for him to say that it is ‘HIS TEAM’ because I will then have to confront him that it is more than likely not HIS. He doesn’t own it. He doesn’t control it. I can agree that more than likely, it is his FAVORITE team. You see, I would bet that if his favorite team was not playing, he would be watching some other team. If he was married it is like “My wife is tired tonight, so I am going to take a neighbors wife out for dinner.” Same idea.

When I was in High School, we were encouraged/reguired to watch ‘The Game’. It was OUR game because our brethren, our fellow students were playing. Since it was a military school, we saw these players daily. They may have been roomates. Many would go on the be big time players. You see, even though it was a school with academics highest on this list, we did have our share of sports. There was swimming and tennis and track and baseball and football and cross country and weightlifting and riflery and so on.

In our case, because many athletes needed to increase their grades before being accepted into their chosen College or University, they came to my school. Because of the intense One Subject Plan which taught one subject at a time and had forced study hall, everyones grades got significantly better. We took one class for 5 or 6 weeks and had our final. There was no switching courses every hour like in other schools. Thus with the intense coursework it was easy to get betetr grades. The school was even investigated because certain athletic organizations thought, incorrectly, that the athletes were being given grades they did not deserve. That was proven false. Every student worked for and received the grades they deserved. Thus these athletes did not get a free ride. If they didn’t make the grade, they didn’t play!

So my school sent well over 100 people to the NFL and you would recognize many of the names, including the Heismann Trophy guys. Oh and an Olympic swimmer and a Secretary General of the Olympics Committee. Toss in some politicians and two actors from Star Trek, some CEOs and University Presidents, a well known and respected Basketball Coach, the highest ranking officer on the USS Arizona, a couple of U.S. Congressmen and a guy thenmed the Kansas City Chiefs after.

I guess that makes the difference between MY TEAM you my friends favorite team.

Source: https://www.forkunion.com/notable-alumni/