When does one truly know that they have become a fan of something?
These days we have the benefit of Face Book to show what date we became a fan of something. But before we had the benefit of the internet to state our fan-hood, when did we know? I like to think that I was born a football fan, specifically a fan of the Denver Broncos. I doubt that my media frenzy or parental upbringing contributed to my Orange Crush fan-dom. On some serious reflection (brought on by a question on Yahoo Answers…on the internet) has me thinking that my fanatic attitude sprouted from a two week period in 1978…the build up to Super Bowl XII: Denver vs. Dallas.
Ms. Beckwith’s second grade class lined up dutifully to go to the all school assembly. We walked with proper 8 year old decorum to the gym and took our places near the front. We sat on the floor with the other kids in grades 1-3, the 4-6 graders got chairs. They were old and soft, and we didn’t want any of them breaking a hip or something getting down on the cold gym floor.
January in Colorado was cold. I don’t care what kind of heat bill a school district is willing to pay, nothing can warm up the parquet gym floor. Mr. Fieldman, our gym teacher, had out his portable turntable and spun some 45’s while we walked in. One of the songs was used on a Mazda commercial at that time…something about a great little car…it’s all I could think about while that mod tune played. Once we were all in the gym the faceless man that they called the principal addressed us and told us the great news: the Denver Broncos were going to the Super Bowl.
“Ya rootin’ tootin’ sidewindin’ lily livered…Broncos Fans!!” came a yell from the back of the gym.
Mr. Belf, the science teacher, marched up to the front of the assembly dressed up in blue and white Cowboy chaps. He had stars on his boots! He had a white leather gun belt. He had more tasseled fringe than the entire cast of “Fame.”
“You’re not gonna beat my Cowboys!” He shouted as he shot caps in the air from his shiny silver six-shooters (replicas).
The crowd boo-ed him and mocked him. Me, being the young paladin that I was, I pitied him, and took his side. You see, I had never really paid attention to football before. We didn’t have a television, and it seemed more fun to play football than watch it on t.v. I wouldn’t know a Bronco “D” from hole in the wall. (Well, actually, as Greg and I were rough-housing youngsters…I was quite adept at recognizing a hole in the wall, and shifting blame to others when I found one.)
For the next two weeks I touted up the Cowboys. I told people that the Cowboys were going to win and there was nothing the Broncos could do about it. Secretly, I began to repent of my Cowboy crush, but I had committed myself to a course and I was dead set on staying that course.
January 15, 1978 came along. Dad, Greg, and I went across the street to Joe and Cheryl Murray’s house to watch the game. This was the first game that I ever had watched from beginning to end. Keeping true to my form, I rooted for the Cowboys. As the game went along it became very apparent to me that I had chosen the wrong side. You see, I liked the team that I thought was the underdog…and the Cowboys weren’t it. Sure we had Red Miller, Craig Morton, Lyle Alzado, Otis Armstrong, Steve Foley, Randy Gradishar, Rob Lytle, Riley Odoms, Bob Swenson, Billy Thompson, Rick Upchurch, and Louis Wright. But most of these names I had heard because of the build up to the game. None of these great players ever made the Hall of Fame. The Cowboys had Tom Landry, Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Randy White, Mel Renfro, and Tony Hill…most of these guys are in the Hall of Fame!
Yeah, Denver lost 27-10, and I never felt so badly in my life. That’s when I knew that I was not a Dallas Cowboys fan…but a full fledged fan of the Denver Broncos. It explained why my blood was blue and orange whenever I cut myself. I finally understood why sunrises and sunsets were so awesome: God is a Broncos fan, too.
I wondered how I would save face in front of the entire school when I rooted for the Broncos from that point. Fortunately, we switched schools before the next football season started. See…God is a Broncos fan.
These days we have the benefit of Face Book to show what date we became a fan of something. But before we had the benefit of the internet to state our fan-hood, when did we know? I like to think that I was born a football fan, specifically a fan of the Denver Broncos. I doubt that my media frenzy or parental upbringing contributed to my Orange Crush fan-dom. On some serious reflection (brought on by a question on Yahoo Answers…on the internet) has me thinking that my fanatic attitude sprouted from a two week period in 1978…the build up to Super Bowl XII: Denver vs. Dallas.
Ms. Beckwith’s second grade class lined up dutifully to go to the all school assembly. We walked with proper 8 year old decorum to the gym and took our places near the front. We sat on the floor with the other kids in grades 1-3, the 4-6 graders got chairs. They were old and soft, and we didn’t want any of them breaking a hip or something getting down on the cold gym floor.
January in Colorado was cold. I don’t care what kind of heat bill a school district is willing to pay, nothing can warm up the parquet gym floor. Mr. Fieldman, our gym teacher, had out his portable turntable and spun some 45’s while we walked in. One of the songs was used on a Mazda commercial at that time…something about a great little car…it’s all I could think about while that mod tune played. Once we were all in the gym the faceless man that they called the principal addressed us and told us the great news: the Denver Broncos were going to the Super Bowl.
“Ya rootin’ tootin’ sidewindin’ lily livered…Broncos Fans!!” came a yell from the back of the gym.
Mr. Belf, the science teacher, marched up to the front of the assembly dressed up in blue and white Cowboy chaps. He had stars on his boots! He had a white leather gun belt. He had more tasseled fringe than the entire cast of “Fame.”
“You’re not gonna beat my Cowboys!” He shouted as he shot caps in the air from his shiny silver six-shooters (replicas).
The crowd boo-ed him and mocked him. Me, being the young paladin that I was, I pitied him, and took his side. You see, I had never really paid attention to football before. We didn’t have a television, and it seemed more fun to play football than watch it on t.v. I wouldn’t know a Bronco “D” from hole in the wall. (Well, actually, as Greg and I were rough-housing youngsters…I was quite adept at recognizing a hole in the wall, and shifting blame to others when I found one.)
For the next two weeks I touted up the Cowboys. I told people that the Cowboys were going to win and there was nothing the Broncos could do about it. Secretly, I began to repent of my Cowboy crush, but I had committed myself to a course and I was dead set on staying that course.
January 15, 1978 came along. Dad, Greg, and I went across the street to Joe and Cheryl Murray’s house to watch the game. This was the first game that I ever had watched from beginning to end. Keeping true to my form, I rooted for the Cowboys. As the game went along it became very apparent to me that I had chosen the wrong side. You see, I liked the team that I thought was the underdog…and the Cowboys weren’t it. Sure we had Red Miller, Craig Morton, Lyle Alzado, Otis Armstrong, Steve Foley, Randy Gradishar, Rob Lytle, Riley Odoms, Bob Swenson, Billy Thompson, Rick Upchurch, and Louis Wright. But most of these names I had heard because of the build up to the game. None of these great players ever made the Hall of Fame. The Cowboys had Tom Landry, Roger Staubach, Tony Dorsett, Randy White, Mel Renfro, and Tony Hill…most of these guys are in the Hall of Fame!
Yeah, Denver lost 27-10, and I never felt so badly in my life. That’s when I knew that I was not a Dallas Cowboys fan…but a full fledged fan of the Denver Broncos. It explained why my blood was blue and orange whenever I cut myself. I finally understood why sunrises and sunsets were so awesome: God is a Broncos fan, too.
I wondered how I would save face in front of the entire school when I rooted for the Broncos from that point. Fortunately, we switched schools before the next football season started. See…God is a Broncos fan.
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