A Father And A Son

The Purdue vs IU football game doesn't really register on the radar of big time college football games being played this weekend. There is not a championship on the line, no Bowl game at stake  or BCS implications...Nope, just two in-state college football teams going at it for pride. And Pride can make for some intense football games.

Both teams are playing for the sake of playing. Purdue trying to send their seniors out with one more win against IU in a game that the Boilers have recently dominated but by no means have in the bag this afternoon. IU to finish a disappointing season with a win and perhaps save their coaches job. Sad but that's life in bog time college football....

On a personal note, it's kind of a sad game for me today....because of my recent battles w/my health, I have to watch this one at home on TV. That means missing the opportunity to see it w/my father and brother-in-law David, who will be going to his first Purdue/IU game this afternoon. I was really looking forward to going but reason must prevail...and that's not always a given in my case!



The Purdue/IU game and rivalry, really going to Purdue game period for me are about my Dad, first and foremost. This is what he and I do on football Saturdays in the Fall. I have gone to Purdue games w/my father since the Ohio State Purdue game in 1967 in Ohio Stadium....I was 5 yrs old.

Too young to understand a thing about the game but no matter: to me it was about being with my father. We did that a lot when I was a kid, we spent a lot of time together at sporting events, mostly Purdue football and basketball games. And fortunately we still do....they still are one of my favorite ways to spend some time with my dad.

Like many teenage boys, I didn't always see eye to eye with my father but no matter how difficult things got between us, Purdue games were always a constant. Through thick and thin, good times and bad....we always shared that time together and I'll never forget it.