More Than Just a Game
Dear M & M,
As you know by now, sports are a big part of our lives. We watch sports, nearly all of your toys are somehow sports themed, and many of your "firsts" have involved sports. These are fun to play and fun to watch, but something we don't realize is how important being a fan is. There are those who will say that it is "just a game", but they are wrong. This is so much more than that.
As I write this, the NFL is meeting to determine if my favorite football team, the St. Louis Rams, will stay here or head out west to greener pastures in L.A. Every day is a roller coaster, up and down. This morning I was sure they were staying, I was positive they were moving this evening, and now I am back to being clueless. Ultimately, this will be nothing more than a business decision that is in the hands of a bunch of rich dudes, and I can't control this anymore than I can control the smells from the backseat on road trips. I do hope they stay though, because there is so much I want to share with you.
The Rams have been bad for a 15 year stretch now, and I have had my share of frustrations (as our neighbors can confirm), but also good times (also as our neighbors can confirm). Being a fan, though, is not just about watching your team win. If it was, we would all be those bandwagon fans who currently root for Seattle. Being a fan is about being a part of something.
When I root for the Rams, there are also thousands of other people in the world doing the exact same thing. We all wear our lucky jerseys, we all nearly have a heart attack when things get iffy at the end of a close game, and we all get frustrated through the losses, but this is our team. Your Mom and I have been to Rams games, and been around this extended family up close, and we have even been to Canton, Ohio, to the Hall of Fame, and been around these fine people for days straight (Heaven!!!).
I was not born a huge fan of the Rams (although I like to claim that). However, my Grandpa and my Uncle Rich really honed my skills as we watched the Rams in their first years in St. Louis. There was a commercial where a Rams player ran "so fast" that the cheerleaders' skirts blew up, which helped them become my favorite team very quickly. They were both loud, and very excitable guys. When touchdowns happened, I would get thrown around like a rag doll, and yelling together became a way of life. These 2 are not around anymore, but I am carrying the tradition, so you guys are the next generation. I have always waited anxiously for the days we would share this together.
Much of who you are is actually based on the way we are fans of sports. You are both loud, love to eat, excited over every little thing, and treat everyone like they are a friend in your stadium (unless they are buttholes who root for another team and like to be all douchey about it). You guys are actually fans of everything come to think of it. You get super excited by many things, such as finding a cookie under a chair (Marshall), watching the fan spin (Maggie), and even finishing a good poop (both). You also get very aggravated and get loud about it like your team has blown the big one, by things such as the door opening (both), the door closing (both), or me having the nerve to eat off of my plate in front of you (Marshall).
Being a fan is not just about the way we act, but also the way we think. It is about just getting lost in a team together. Even if you do not turnout to be big fans of any sports (I may cry, but we can get through it), you will be a fan of something. Whenever something big happens with the thing that you love, you will remember where you were, who you were with, and what you thought. I still remember exactly where I was, and who all of the guys were on the team, when the Rams won the Superbowl back in 99'. This is not just because some really cool stuff happened (although it did), it was because I was completely wrapped up in it all.
Those are huge memories for me, and I still think about that and all those players all of the time. As cool as that was, though, I am an even bigger fan of you guys, and being your Dad. I can remember the first time you guys have done so many things, and I yell, and celebrate with everyone around in the same way, even if the guy in the Wal Mart jumped back when I started jumping around and slapped his hand for a high five, because Marshall said "Bluah"!
Whatever you are a fan of becomes who you are, which is why I get Rams presents as a gift for every occasion. The Cardinals are awesome too, but the Rams have always been my guys. If you are a fan of math (like me, which you hopefully don't find too nerdy), then you will probably end of using it in your career. If you are a fan of being my kids, then hanging with me will be something you love (until you are 13 anyway). If you are a fan of whatever you are doing, then you will love it that much more. People will get excited about whatever it is when you talk and celebrate with high fives about it (unless it's something weird, like collecting hair).
Sports are more than "just a game", and learning how to be a good fan will be a vital part of being a member of this family. The Rams are more than "just a football team". They are our team. While I am a fan of many things, they have always been my team. I write this letter to celebrate being a fan of everything, but also to look forward to carrying on this tradition with you. The point is not that they wear Blue and Gold and run around and hit other teams while trying to get a ball. The point is that being a fan is so important, and I hope we can be a fan of them together.
Thanks for reading.
Love,
Dad
As you know by now, sports are a big part of our lives. We watch sports, nearly all of your toys are somehow sports themed, and many of your "firsts" have involved sports. These are fun to play and fun to watch, but something we don't realize is how important being a fan is. There are those who will say that it is "just a game", but they are wrong. This is so much more than that.
The Rams have been bad for a 15 year stretch now, and I have had my share of frustrations (as our neighbors can confirm), but also good times (also as our neighbors can confirm). Being a fan, though, is not just about watching your team win. If it was, we would all be those bandwagon fans who currently root for Seattle. Being a fan is about being a part of something.
I was not born a huge fan of the Rams (although I like to claim that). However, my Grandpa and my Uncle Rich really honed my skills as we watched the Rams in their first years in St. Louis. There was a commercial where a Rams player ran "so fast" that the cheerleaders' skirts blew up, which helped them become my favorite team very quickly. They were both loud, and very excitable guys. When touchdowns happened, I would get thrown around like a rag doll, and yelling together became a way of life. These 2 are not around anymore, but I am carrying the tradition, so you guys are the next generation. I have always waited anxiously for the days we would share this together.
Much of who you are is actually based on the way we are fans of sports. You are both loud, love to eat, excited over every little thing, and treat everyone like they are a friend in your stadium (unless they are buttholes who root for another team and like to be all douchey about it). You guys are actually fans of everything come to think of it. You get super excited by many things, such as finding a cookie under a chair (Marshall), watching the fan spin (Maggie), and even finishing a good poop (both). You also get very aggravated and get loud about it like your team has blown the big one, by things such as the door opening (both), the door closing (both), or me having the nerve to eat off of my plate in front of you (Marshall).
Whatever you are a fan of becomes who you are, which is why I get Rams presents as a gift for every occasion. The Cardinals are awesome too, but the Rams have always been my guys. If you are a fan of math (like me, which you hopefully don't find too nerdy), then you will probably end of using it in your career. If you are a fan of being my kids, then hanging with me will be something you love (until you are 13 anyway). If you are a fan of whatever you are doing, then you will love it that much more. People will get excited about whatever it is when you talk and celebrate with high fives about it (unless it's something weird, like collecting hair).
Sports are more than "just a game", and learning how to be a good fan will be a vital part of being a member of this family. The Rams are more than "just a football team". They are our team. While I am a fan of many things, they have always been my team. I write this letter to celebrate being a fan of everything, but also to look forward to carrying on this tradition with you. The point is not that they wear Blue and Gold and run around and hit other teams while trying to get a ball. The point is that being a fan is so important, and I hope we can be a fan of them together.
Thanks for reading.
Love,
Dad
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