The Old Sports Fan
Papa Savage
My son, Mr. savage sports, has come to appreciate the story I tell him of one of the first dates I had with my (at the time) wife -to- be, his mom. This was one of those times that get you to realize the character of the person you’re with.
It all happened on a raw, rainy October day back in the later 70’s. For those of you who may not know, those were Schaeffer stadium days. After being the Boston Patriots from 1960 to 1970, The team was renamed the New England patriots and moved to Schaefer stadium where they remained until 2002. Billy Sullivan was the owner of the team and Robert Kraft was an enthusiastic season ticket holder at the time. And for those of you who did not grow up in New York State, Schaeffer brewing company was the proud producer of Schaefer beer with the very catchy jingle “Schaeffer is the one beer to have when you’re having more than one” Schaefer also has the distinction of being America’s oldest lager beer (but I digress).
Anyone who can remember that far back remembers those cold metal benches that pretended to be seats. And when you sit on a cold metal seat in an outdoor football stadium on a raw, rainy October day, you are cold and wet. And not very happy.
But, my soon- to- be wife was with me while we huddled under whatever passed for rain gear at that time and watched the game from some nose bleed 300 section. And people, I must tell you, SHE NEVER COMPLAINED ONCE. Now, she never went to another game with me but she was a good sport and went with me that day. She would tell me later in our marriage that the reason she gave me a son was that I would have someone to go to games with.
I tell you this story to remind you that sports are not just games to be watched from cold metal seats, it is a fabric of our lives. I can still remember to this day in the late 50’s (I was probably 10) while over Ronnie Ainspan’s house how upset his father was when a nasty hit on Bart Starr took him out of the green bay Packard’s game. I’m thinking it was Sam Huff, a prototype middle linebacker for the New York Giants that took him out.
While I am actually not that old (not even 80 yet), I can see how my life as a sports fan has been measured and defined by those many, many moments which brought elation or great disappointment to my life. Regardless of the sport, those moments remain and shape us throughout our lives.
So, whether you’re in a cold metal seat or watching your grandson hit a solid shot to right field, I say to you,
Play ball.