The Romance of American Football

While I do not claim in any form or fashion to be a fan of American football, I cannot help but awe a little at the magic that seemed to occur here last night in the Midwest town of Lexington. What I awe at is the way one single event, one stretch of hours on a single autumn afternoon can suddenly stop time, erase all differences, and unite a city in purpose and energy.

It seems that hotel rooms were very scarce here in the city last night, traffic a virtual nightmare as tens of thousands of people fell upon the campus of the University starting as early as eight yesterday morning for coffee, bacon, sausage and eggs off the back of pick-up trucks followed by lunches of beer, bratwurst, and corn-hole games. Some go just for the food, the friends, and the alcohol. The real action began at 3:30 on this afternoon, though, as a perpetually close game ran through four quarters between the best team UK has seen in years and a #1 ranked LSU football team.

“I don’t think a single fan has left the game,” came the voice of the radio announcer, “fourth biggest crown this stadium has ever seen.” Four hours into it, the game comes up tied, we’re off to overtime. The crown chants, “Go Big Blue.” Another tie, another overtime. The tension in palpable as the crowd, the home audience, the radio listeners sit poised and focused. The energy of the city suspended in this one moment, this small stretch of time, all is lost and forgotten: gay, straight, young, old, worries, troubles, arguments, disagreements, prejudices. It’s all gone for the moment as something greater takes hold of the heart of the people and demands full attention.

Finally, third overtime, “TOUCHDOWN UK,” and then a failed score attempt from LSU and the game is over. We win. Records, trends, expectations shattered and left in the cold grass. Fireworks shoot overhead, the crowd rushes the field, music plays. There is dancing, drinking, joy. It is a moment when nothing else matters, all is well, we are one as a crowd, as spectators to a great event in college sport history. As much as you may loathe the idea of sports, as casual a fan as you may be, at that moment you cannot deny the magic, cannot deny the romance of what seems to be possible, a peace in the world, a place where our individual differences mean nothing, where we are all united for a greater cause. It is the romance of a better world.

The party continues into the night, the downtown streets saturated with people. There is an air of celebration in the air that does not want to end, for in the morning, as the sun rises over the cluttered streets and parking lots littered with the remnants of ten of thousands of people, the romance slowly fades and the reality of our world returns. We pick ourselves up and do it all again next week in the hope that that magic, that romance, will begin anew.