Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Smack Dab in the Middle of a Male Bonding Experience

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 9/10/11

This one goes under the category of live and learn.

I’ve been to professional football games, I went to all the Ohio U. football games when I was in college, so it’s not like I just fell off the turnip truck. But you would have thought that last Saturday when I went to my first UNM football game.

I had a reason to go other than for the sport. No, I am not particularly a football fan, but I was caught clapping, cheering and yelling, “run, run, run” by my youngest daughter more than once during the game I’ll admit.
It was the Lobos season opener, but more importantly, it was my eldest daughter’s first time performing with the UNM Spirit Marching Band, and as a parent I couldn’t miss that. But I came close.

First of all, I wish someone would have told me that you have to be at the stadium for the pre-game show. I didn’t even know what a pre-game show was until 2:45pm my daughter texted me and said, “You’ll be here at 3 for the pre-game right? You can’t miss that.”

I finished blow drying my hair, put the dryer down, texted her back and said, “Almost there.”

I was planning on getting to the stadium at 3:30, that would have given me a half an hour to park, get tickets and find my seat. Plenty of time I thought until I got just below the Big I and found myself inching my way down the highway because it seemed everyone else in the world was going to the same game.

It took an hour to make the trip, it took another 20 minutes to park, another 10 minutes to walk to the stadium, and another hour to wait in line to buy our tickets. I should have known better when a friend asked me earlier in the week if I had bought my tickets yet.

As my youngest daughter and I waited in the ticket line with parched throats and soar feet, all I could wonder was why would women wear 5” heels and mini skirts to a Saturday afternoon football game and would we even make it inside to see the halftime performance?

Once inside, little did I know we were about to sit smack dab in the middle of a Saturday afternoon male bonding ritual.

My daughter and I found our seats behind the goal posts and tried to fit in amongst the screaming men dressed in red and foaming at the mouths. Whenever the Lobos made a good play and God help us a goal, all the men high fived each other, nodded in agreement and acted like they were best friends who all came in the same car. How can 37,000 men all know each other?

The marching band was great, the cheerleaders were great, oh and yes, the football game was great, even though we lost. Next time I will buy my tickets in advance, leave the house much earlier and wear red. There’s nothing to this college football stuff.

Quote of the Week: “Everyone’s a Lobo, woof, woof, woof.”- Lobo spirit chant to be screamed with accompanying hand motion.

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