Saturday, November 24, 2007

game on














If you listen to the powers that be in Liberal Collegeville, it may get a little interesting around here tonight. Like most of the Midwest, our town is sports crazy. Normally, our local sports nuts are quiet this time of year, since on the street wisdom says that we have only two sports seasons in LC - basketball season and almost basketball season.


But for the first time in a long, long time there seems to be something to go crazy about in the fall. Our football team, which has been something of a joke (at least since we've lived here) is finishing up a fairy tale season by facing their bitter, century long rival (who have also had a great season). Tonight. Live on network. Prime time.


And the common opinion is that all hell is going to break loose. Win or lose. At work on Thanksgiving the word was that there was not a keg to be found within an hour of here. And that the tailgate parties were starting as early as 9 am for a 7 pm game. (Quick math quiz: If a patient weighs 180 pounds and drinks four beers an hour for eleven hours, buffered by nothing but bean dip, will his blood alcohol level be higher or lower than the national debt?) Our very intelligent (and always prepared) department director posted a sheet recruiting people to be available on call in case things got really out of hand.



By the time I got to the list the really exciting shifts had been filled in.You know, the ones from 11 pm to 7 am. Now normally I wouldn't work later than 11 pm for anything, but (in the voyeuristic desire to be where the insanity is) I was kind of sorry that I'd been beaten to it. I did sign up for a shift earlier in the evening, leading people to ask me all day if I realized I'd willingly put myself on call during the game. I said Yeah, so what?, cementing my reputation as a granola eating tree hugging non-native. (Come on, people! It's a football game, for cryin' out loud. It isn't like it's something important, like the Wimbledon final).



But you know what? That's all part of my ultra laid back persona, because I really want them to win this game. Really badly. I've been here long enough to understand just how bitter and long standing this feud is, and in absolute impartiality I think our side is completely in the right. I want them to win. I just don't feel any great need to watch it.

Besides, if common wisdom holds, the game isn't even going to be the most entertaining show in town anyway.

*******************************************
Post-Game Update: We lost. I went to work for a few hours and it was sooooo quiet it was barely recognizable. On the way there and home there was almost no one on the streets.

But...the game just ended and I hear lots of noise outside. I think it's a good night to stay in.

19 comments:

Tiggerlane said...

DANGIT! What game is this? B/c, BOTH of my unsuspecting teams WON today...and I was a fanatic about it!

So, what happened?

Beth said...

RC, I'm sure the many patients you see tonight will give you their play by play in double or triple vision. Don't bother to give them those little curved drool catchers...just give 'em a bucket. Even early on I suspect you'll have an interesting shift. I'd love to be a fly on the wall!

Stacie said...

I can't wait to hear all about what happened!

Jo Beaufoix said...

Bleurghhhh, really wouldn't want to be on clean up duty for those shifts.
Really hope your team wins though sweet, Then at least you'll have mostly happy drunks.

Mya said...

If you're working while the game is being played - you should be able to put your feet up, gossip and eat chocolates, shouldn't you? Or am I being naive?

Mya x

PS A thin scraping of marmite on Hugh Grant - what a dilemma! Tee hee.

Akelamalu said...

This is going to make interesting reading methinks! ;)

Amy said...

I'm sure you'll have entertaining stories to tell, and I look forward to them. Your storytelling skills are superb, and being in a hospital will give you fantastic material.

Living in Partytown, Wisconsin, I'm terribly (and I mean terribly) familiar with all that will happen today.

By the way, my niece is a graduate of your opponent's university and is still a huge fan. So is her entire family. Maybe I'll call and taunt them during the game. That could be entertaining.

Kim said...

I can't wait to hear whether or not you're called in. I'm hoping for some drunkard stories.

Susan said...

The consensus here is that the blood alcohol level, although very high, will still be lower than the national debt. So much of the fall for me is knowing when not to go west of Lake on a Saturday, and the days leading up to New Year's Day...stay home altogether!

ped crossing said...

I have to agree with the root for them, but the game is always much less exciting than the buildup philosophy.

I hope there are plenty of entertaining stories about silly drunks, not mean ones.

Potty Mummy said...

Being English I am of course going cold turkey on ANY sport right now, since our shameful performance on Wednesday in a little-known game called Football (aka Soccer to you, RC), versus an upstart country who beat the pants off us and knocked us out of Euro 2008.

What's the point of having once been a world power if you can't even win a game of footie?

the rotten correspondent said...

tiggerlane - well, I post early, so the game is tonight. Kansas-Missouri. (think red and blue, could you?)

I'm assuming you're an Arkansas fan? I read about the game this morning in the paper. Yowzah! You must still be dancing!

P.S. Does Arkansas love or hate Missouri??

pixelpi - Well, I've just found out that I'll definitely be a fly on the wall, as someone called in sick and I've agreed to go in tonight for a few hours. The more I read in the paper about this, though, the more I think it's going to be insane. I need a good bulk buy on buckets.

stacie - stay tuned. (Or just turn on ABC!)

jo - I'd prefer happy drunks myself. And thank god we don't clean up for ourselves. (Well, not much anyway...)

mya - I have to admit that I'm thinking the way you are. A whole bunch of staff who all "need" to go into the break room for something and every TV in every room on the game - but quiet patient wise. Hopefully, we're right. But you never know.

akela - methinks, too!

amy - that's right, you do live in Partyville too. You know exactly what I'm talking about. When do these kids study????

And if you feel the need to taunt your niece, it's okay by me. (You might want to check the score first though!!)

Oh, and "superb storytelling skills"?? MWAH!!

kaycie - where does Oklahoma stand on this rivalry? Just curious. Is there one team they hate worse than the other?

my two cents - ah yes, Rose Parade traffic. Blech. Our problem here is that we're pretty close to downtown. And I have to drive through downtown to get to work. FG is all stressed out since I should be getting out of work right around the time the game is over and all the yahoos leave the bars and hit the streets. He's planning a route home for me that goes through Pennsylvania.

the rotten correspondent said...

ped crossing - some sports events (like tennis) I have to personally watch and pace and pray and all those things. But this? Nah. I'll check out the score periodically and keep my fingers crossed for the final score.

potty mummy - only one of my three kids cares about sports at all and my husband is hopeless. I keep trying to explain how it's possible to get so fired up by these games and they just don't get it.

I can tell from the tone of your comment that you do get it and you care - desperately. I'm sorry your team let you down. It sucks to be a sports fan sometimes.

laurie said...

rC--i'm assuming you've read "friday night lights"?

not watched the tv show. i mean read the book?

the rotten correspondent said...

laurie - no, I haven't. Should I?

Anonymous said...

Does football really deserve prime time?! Our team are a bit of a joke too I have to say but I'm not really a fan so I would say that.

Crystal xx

laurie said...

yes you absolutely should. it's a great book.
journalism. about a small town in texas, and how absurdly important football is there.

laurie said...

as soon as you finish "lonesome dove," i mean. heh heh heh.

Anonymous said...

I do remember well, when I was living in Tennessee, those kind of football games! You will have to let us know the outcome. I hope your town wins, and I don't blame you for not wanting to watch. I always just want to know we won, not wanting to watch.
Hopefully, the ER, won't be too busy. Never fun when the partying gets out of hand! Be safe and buckets are always a good idea.
XOXO