All about the Pigskin

all who know me are aware that I truly enjoy football. i think the love started as a youth because it was a way to break through the 'boys club' mentality of my father and brothers. that love of the pigskin hasn't diminished with adulthood. it is fun to follow the byu cougars on their quest. it is just as rewarding to hear about accolades being poured upon retired players from my youth.

steve young will have his no. 8 jersey retired by the san francisco 49ers on October 5th. it is well deserved and made that much cooler that steve is LDS and an MVP quarterback that i watched as a young woman. congrats!

steve and i share a special bond because during the NFC Championship game in 1995 i took my father's car from the church parking lot (where i was supposed to be in sunday school) and drove home to catch some of the game. my brother Big Lug was "sick" (i use the term loosely) that day so i knew the game would be on and he wouldn't tell on me. i got home during the 1st quarter and was able to see three TD passes by steve to various receivers including the great Jerry Rice.

i was so excited that the 9ers were beating the crap out of dallas that i didn't head back to church until the last second before my dad would realize that i had taken the car. so i ran into the garage and ignited the engine and shifted into reverse and POW!! i hit the closed garage door. i was so excited by the stellar play of steve and his posse that i neglected to verify that the garage door was opened so now the car was stuck in the garage and i knew for sure that my dad would realize i took the car without asking and skipped church.

i got back to the building and found my dad to tell him first the good news about the game score and then let him know what i had done. it was fitting that i chose a spiritual setting to tell him about probably one of the worse things i did as a youth.

sometimes my dad still brings up the fact that i owe him for fixing the garage door. maybe i can send the bill to my buddy steve because it was his level of football excellence that caused the garage door to go boom.