Otherwise titled: "Football Momma." Or: "Why don't they ever show the bands?" Or: "Dancing Queen"

Dear Mark,

I told you it would be painful. I'm so sorry. It was fun talking to you yesterday. It's funny to me how much alike we are in some ways, although, you're right, I am more private. Nicer too. Anyway. I was thinking as I was driving home that I actually had a lot more to say about football. I know! Isn't that great? It was mostly about my grandparents, and how they loved sport too. My mom's mom was more of a baseball fan. The Cardinals. (Although she liked the Rams too.) It should come as no surprise that my mom is watching baseball a lot these days. That's why she got that huge flat screen t.v. She put Alex Rodriguez on her prayer list when he was slumping before he his his 600th, and sure enough it worked!

My dad's mom kept his dad company watching golf and the Redskins. We still joke about how she hated Greg Norman because she thought he took all of his money out of the country. My grandad loved his Redskins. Their training camp was one town over from his hometown and he'd go every summer. He died right before Joe Gibbs came out of retirement to coach again, and Neel spoke of that at his funeral. That if Grandpa had known THAT was going to happen, he'd have stuck around. I've always had a soft spot for the Redskins cause of Grandpa, which is a good thing considering I live in Redskins country now. I think Donovan got a bum rap from the Eagles, so I want them to win more than ever. I wonder what Grandpa would think. I'm not sure he'd have much time for Dan Snyder. He'd like Shanahan, I bet. I like how sport connects families. Callum can talk to my dad about the Chargers, and watch baseball with my mom. His best bud goes to watch the Redskins with his own Grandpa every weekend. I like that. Football, all sport really, is generational. Like fishing for your dad and Johnny, I guess.

But, Mark, this letter is for you, so I should keep my musings on football to a minimum (except to just say, hey dad I totally agree with you about that lame-o whistle blow when snapping for a field goal rule). One thing that my Grandma Charlotte (the one with the beef about Greg Norman) would always complain about in college football is the fact that they never showed the bands at halftime. "Why don't they ever show the bands?" We say that all the time around here. Anytime someone doesn't get to see or do something they wanted to; anytime anyone is disappointed: "Why don't they ever show the bands?"

I thought of this as we were walking to the game on Saturday night. It made me laugh to think, "Why don't they ever show the bands?" I'd get to see the bands! And sure enough, at half time out they march. And over the loudspeaker comes the announcer. He tells us the most wonderful news. The band is going to perform a retrospective of one of rock and rolls greatest bands. Queen. You read that right, my friends. Some of the greatest sport anthems of our time. "We Are the Champions," and "Another One Bites the Dust." They could have left it there. They could have played it safe and stuck with the sport motif. Good crowd for some Queen songs. But this band was brave. What did they end with?

"Bohemian Rhapsody."

So there you go, Dancing Queen. Another reason to love sport. The bands.

Thinking of you. Your friend,
Lauren

P.S. What did you think of the Top Chef finale?