I grew up in an Ohio State household.  It’s probably no small wonder that I became a Michigan fan.  It’s natural to root for the underdog and the local team, but I don’t always follow the path of least resistance.  For being a Michigan fan in Ohio, I’ve been flipped off, told to kill myself, had my sexuality questioned, and had a rock thrown at my car amidst what I can only assume were some obscenities.  The guy was so drunk and/or livid that Michigan car flags existed that you could barely make out what he was sputtering as he released the baseball-sized boulder.  He missed.  He overthrew.  Maybe he should’ve tried a running play.

The Oakland Athletics were my first favorite sports team, starting around 1987 when Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire were the Bash Brothers and Rickey Henderson was stealing bases like it was a walk in the park.  I moved along to the Braves once the A’s imploded (Canseco started falling apart not long after his 40/40 season in 1988, Henderson had his not-so-humble celebration for the stolen base record, and McGwire turned into the incredible ginger hulk), but since the mid 1990’s, I haven’t watched much pro baseball.  I’d rather check out a Lake Erie Crushers game live, in good seats, for five bucks on dollar dog night.

Since those days, though, it’s been all about football for me.  I was a Bengals fan for a number of years but gave up when they signed the cancer known as TO.  I’m a big Ochocinco fan and think he has his best years ahead of him, but TO is a darkness over an entire team.  Nothing you all don’t already know.  Needless to say, I have lost interest in pro football.

Saturdays, for me, are where it’s at… I check out the schedule by Tuesday and pick out a noon game, a 3:30 game, and a 7 or 8pm game.  Sometimes there are two in one time slot and I’ll either need two screens or the “Back” button close by.  Right now, I just finished hailing to the Victors at Michigan after their 28-7 victory over Hoke’s last school, SDSU.  Right now, I’m watching OSU rebound from a loss last week with a ten point lead.  In a few hours, I’ll paradoxically shout “War Eagle!” for a team called the Tigers.  Auburn became my other favorite team through several random associations, not the least of which was Tommy Tuberville… everything about the man was hard to dislike in comparison to the douchiness that is Nick Saban.  Plus his name was Tommy.  Tommy Tuberville.  That’s an excellent name.

It gets paired up with drinks, or grilling, or friends, or the throwing of random objects across the room on a bad day, but the mainstay of my Saturday life during the fall is college football.  It will make Saturdays the easiest days to get through while I’m out here in Minnesota, braving the cold and lonely winter.  If you ever have the urge to watch a game and aren’t sure who might be interested… let me know.