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Sports
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College Football Bowls Well, it's that time of year again ... the College Football Bowl Season. ... Tradition has it that all over the country on New Year's Day, men, mostly men anyway, engage in a ritual that, in some cases, stretches back to New Year's Day of 1923 -- when the 1st Rose Bowl championship game was played. Now, though, the Bowl Games are spread across the calendar like the shirts and socks you leave lying around the house. It all begins on December 18th -- when North Texas (5-6) meets Colorado State (6-5). How's that for impressive records!?! That'll be for the New Orleans Bowl at the Superdome [8 p.m. ET/ESPN2]. From there, it stretches out over the next two weeks and two days to January 3rd -- that's right, January 3rd -- when the Rose Bowl for the first time in its long history won't be played on New Year's Day. In between, if you've got the stuff it takes, there are two dozen other Bowl Games to watch. {For a complete listing with air times, see this month's Links to Radio, Film & TV On-Line.} But there's something seriously wrong here. ... The Rose Bowl's not on New Year's Day?!? What were they thinking!?! That'll screw up everything. ... You remember last year, the close call, the winning play. ... ... The
New Year's Day Play of the Game, 2001 After all, isn't that precisely the reason you had to leave in the middle of that Christmas dinner with her friends the weekend after Christmas and make it down to Circuit City before they closed and the Giant Super All-Time Special Holiday Big-Screen TV Sale came to a crashing close. Who wouldn't understand the necessity? It's obvious, isn't it? So now the day has arrived. ... You gather the essentials -- chips, dips, cheese, a few brews, placed, with a little ice, in the mini-Coleman cooler you'll keep next to the Lazy-Boy, so you don't have to bother her. {Who was it who said you weren't considerate?!?} You arrange it all, quietly, so as not to disturb her, on the coffee table, the footstool, the small table next to the Lazy-Boy -- on your left, of course, to leave your right hand free for the remote. Finally, a couple of minutes before game-time, gently, but firmly, you commandeer the remote which, to your surprise, she gives up almost gladly, though you sense something. It's something, something in the air -- you're not sure what, but something -- that tells you she is not entirely happy. This could spell trouble. For a moment, in an effort to show her just how considerate you really are, you think to ask her "Is everything ok?" But you stop yourself short. ... What if there is? Or what if she takes it as an opportunity to talk? ... You bite your tongue. Third and goal from the five. Your down by 6 with less than a minute to go and no timeouts. The clock is running. ... "Will the game still be on at nine," she asks. You line up in a hurry, call an audible, take the snap, and spike it to the ground, just beyond the line of scrimmage: "I can't imagine," you say. Only enough time for one more play. You run back to the huddle. You rehearse in your head everything you've ever learned about the game. Then you flash on it. Brilliant! There is a play you can run that will show her you care, but won't be an invitation to talk. But the execution has to be perfect. You've gotta make into the end zone. No coming up short. You rush back to the line of scrimmage. You take the snap and fake a handoff to your running back. ... I really appreciate you letting me watch the game, hon. You draw the defense, just like you imagined. She's about to say something, so you roll out right and -- this has got to be convincing -- you pump fake back the other way. ... How's about we do dinner and a movie this weekend? Just like you expected, the defense goes for the fake. She takes a breath. There's the daylight you'd hoped for, not much, but it's possible. ... You cut hard but graceful toward the goal line, lean in, and, with your head down, you lay a soft one on her cheek. ... Love you, babe, you say and smile. You look up. ... ... She smiles back. ... It's good! ... . ******* ******* If you would like to submit something for our Good Sport feature, or if you simply would like to suggest something you think we ought to cover, e-mail us at ... sports@downstreetmagazine.com. ******* ******* If you would like to advertise in this section, or throughout the magazine, please visit our Advertising Info Pages ... or call, write, or e-mail ads@downstreetmagazine.com. ******* ******* |
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