On being a Football Widow

I remember years ago reading the 'B.C.' comic strip and seeing one in which the Fat Broad said something about being a "golf widow". I didn't understand what she meant at the time (and, as an aside, can you even imagine a mainstream, daily comic strip today having a character named the Fat Broad?). Anyway, some 30 years later, I have a greater understanding of the whole "sports widow" theory even if, in my case, it's not golf but football that sucks my man away from us, his devoted and loving family.

To set the record straight right off the top, I am a big Rider fan. I get just as excited or as nervous as the next guy or gal about "our team". I hate the Eskimos too, but not as much as the Stampeders, and I love to watch a game live at Mosaic Stadium. All three of our children are Rider fans too - well, okay, maybe the 10 year old's jury is still out - and they attend games regularly.

My concern is more related to the intensity of the fan(aticism) my dear Joe displays. Watching games on TV with Joe has become somewhat of a chore over the years. Now that he is involved in the sport on a different level than just being "Joe fan", he watches all the other teams' games on TV too. That means Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday.....I can blow up the house around his recliner and as long as the new 42" plasma doesn't go with it, he wouldn't notice a thing. I can approach him and say a complete paragraph of information with a question at the end and he will say, "Huh?". Oh, nothing dear, I just decided to come in here and talk to myself because there is no where else in the house to do it!! Sometimes I believe in order to get his attention, I need the superpower capability to turn myself into a football. But then, footballs can't talk, so I am equally screwed.

Oh, and the language I have heard! I am not saint; in fact, I will swear like a sailor if I whack my head on something, for example, but I don't swear at the TV unless it goes off the air while CSI is on. I mentioned the new plasma TV. (It's an amazing piece of technology I must say. Nick from CSI:LV looks even better on it than the old 29") With the plasma, we upgraded to a PVR from Access Communications, another wonder of technology. Did you know, for instance, that if a ref gets a call wrong you can rewind and yell at him as many times as you see fit? Then, you can press the "Live" button and go back to in-home heckling in real-time. Our 16 year old doesn't even watch games with his dad anymore - he stays in the safety of the basement. Which isn't all that bad really; there's a 52" big screen down there (but it's not plasma!!). For Rider away games, Joey leaves the house at half-time to go do CKRM's Roundtable from the Four Seasons (I love their boneless ribs). He meets John Frenzy down there and they watch the second half together. And, from what I hear, John can be even more intense than Joe about watching the Riders play. When he leaves the house, I open the windows and air the place out.

Joe loves his work with CKRM and the Riders. I wouldn't have him change it for the world. Since he was attending games at the age of 5 with his dad, he has admired and cheered for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Being able to do what he does now, is the fulfillment of a boyhood dream (and I don't think I am being overly dramatic when I say that.) That all aside, I am thankful the season last only 5 months and that he is not a NFL fan of much consequence. Between the regular Rider routine, the other CFL action, and his rec football team (The Streakers!), weekends are pretty much shot around here. At least his regular day job no longer includes Saturdays like it did a few years back. And, it would be nice if the Rider's bye-week came earlier than the third week of August so we could take our family vacation earlier in the summer.

In Saskatchewan, we are born with a bit of green DNA in us. It just depends if that green grows into golf green or Rider green, before you know which kind of sports widow you may become.

Respectfully submitted today by Jo

5.09 p.m.
Holy crap, I forgot to add the Lyrics for today:

"All day long, wearing a mask of false bravado
Trying to keep up the smile that hides a tear
But as the sun goes down, I get that empty feeling again
How I wish to God that you were here"
This has nothing to do with the lyric's. I just wanted to put this here for Phil (Joe)