College Football: A Love Affair Like No Other

I was sitting back and thinking about the beginning of the 2008 college football season that opens tonight and wondering why this sport is so dominant in my life.  Why?

As I sat and marinated on that thought - I never really have ever taken a closer look as to how much time and energy that I literally take in reading every article I can on my beloved team. 

Do you remember when we were kids and first got our drivers license and how we would look for ways to barrow the car to just get behind that wheel,..."mom, do you need me to get you anything from the grocery store?...Dad, can I run any errands for you?".  I mean...whatever we needed to do to get that fix. 

I feel that way about my team in jumping on the Internet Highway everyday to read the new scoop on what's going on. 

Where are they with that kid they're trying to get from this high school?  Who's going to be the starting QB for the big game?  I mean...it never ends.  Every article only wets my appetite to find more stories, more facts, more info.

Why do I do this?  Why are we so fanatical? 

We do have other important areas of our lives that we are careful to feed, but why am I not full?

Love.  A love that is pure and simple.  A love that permeates the very existence of who you are.  But college football?  Are you serious? 

I'm sure we all have personal reasons why. 

The family and friends we get to spend time with.  The great food and tailgating. The times when we played as kids or competitively as we got older, but a thought that came to mind as to why this love is so strong within us is the feeling we get when we are apart of something much bigger than ourselves. 

To be apart of something that is special and very unique from which all walks of people are drawn.  A common love for a sport and the community for which it represents.

The passion, pride, and commitment to a common interest transcends race, religion, and political views.  It's a time when we all can come together and put away our differences.  A time to celebrate life with enthusiasm in all its gala and pageantry. 

So as we enter the new season of college football for the year 2008 with hopes and dreams thickly interwoven within us, may we enjoy the triumphs in victory with jubilation and find solace in the agony of defeat with those we love and care about...our fellow men and women who share a special love for this grand game of college football. 

Good luck to all and God's speed.