Sunday, October 10, 2010

Friday Night Lights - It's Not About the Football

So I lived my little Friday Night Lights fantasy this past Friday night. We, the family, went to our local high school football game. I had not been to a high school football game since Fall of 1984 and that was for my own high school during my own senior year. If you will stop doing math for a few minutes, you can read how my evening played out.

First of all, it was a perfect football night. Look at the sky just moments before the band started playing and the teams ran out on to the field. This could be Friday night in Dillon, Texas...


Shortly after, the band came out and got into formation, ready for the team to explode through the big paper sign. I have a soft spot in my heart for high school bands. I was a band geek. Reminds me of one time when we were at band camp...


But anyway, back to the football. I'm not going to mention anything about scores or who won or who got their booty handed to them. None of that really matters.

Like on Coach Taylor says on FNL, "Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose."


One team definitely had much clearer eyes, fuller hearts and higher score than the other team. But that didn't matter, especially to these guys.


I must say that I don't remember so many shirtless athletics supporters allowed at the game back in 1984...


The Patriot, with his jersey on, was working it with the drum line.


The drum line was my favorite part of the night. They performed a cadence on the track at the end of half-time. These kids are very accomplished percussionists. Their rhythm was infectious. Remember the picture of the shirtless mass? They were cheering for the drum line, not the football team.  I myself was swept away by the drum line's performance and nearly slipped into a raucous solo chanting of "yo mama, yo daddy" followed by a  bombastic "who dat talkin' 'bout beating TJ, who dat? who dat?"  But I restrained myself and held it all in. It wasn't easy. But I was thinking of my kids, my husband and my good name.

After the drum line ended, we left. There was no 5th Quarter party for us as we had to get to kids to bed. In retrospect, the evening was nothing like FNL the show. I don't even think there is a band at East Dillon High. Budget cuts, I guess. And I have no insight into the personal dramas that I am sure were playing out behind the scenes all around us in the stands, on the field, and in the locker room. That's the part of FNL I like best. In case you don't know, FNL is just a soap opera set around a football theme. Did you really think it was all about the football?

1 comment:

  1. There's nothing like a high school football game on a cool fall night, is there?
    There are boys who go shirtless at the little high school now!

    ReplyDelete

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