FOOTBALL and FAMILY

I. Love. Football.

I love it so much that Shannon and I jokingly, at the start of every season, say that the marriage gets put on hold for football season. I love it so much that she blessed me with a subscription to DAZN, allowing me to watch every single game as well as access to endless NFL programs and highlights.

To be clear, when I say football, I am referring to American rules football. The ol' pigskin. The leatherheads. Yes, I love Canadian football as well. I hold no reservations bragging about my hometown Winnipeg Blue Bombers. (reigning Grey Cup champions two years running, I might add.) And European 'footy' grabs my attention as well. I'm a proud Arsenal fan and break out the gear when the Netherlands 'oranje' strut their stuff in cup performances.

This weekend, however, is Superbowl Sunday. The grand-daddy mecca of sporting events. Prime advertising and commercials. A-list half-time entertainment. Awesome and endless food. And THIS Superbowl Sunday is extra special for me. This year, the Cincinnati Bengals, MY TEAM, are representing the AFC conference. As a fan, I could not be more proud. We made it through the wildcard. We beat the number one seed Tennessee Titans and the number two seed Kansas City Chiefs ON THE ROAD. (For those who don't spreken ze football, I'm basically saying we fought our way, ALL THE WAY to the big dance.)

Now I could go on about the Bengals and the events that got us, the 'WHO DEY' nation (Cincy fans) to this point but, I'm aware that I also have to relate this blog to family.

When Shannon and I met, she knew of football but certainly wasn't a passionate follower. Being the loving and faithful wife she is, she quickly jumped on the Bengals bandwagon. She would research the team and their progress just so she could have a conversation with me about them. THAT... is true love. She's been there through the not-so-glamorous seasons, which up to this year has been most of them. "You're a true fan,” she would constantly say. She didn't understand why I followed them, but she was my biggest fan in doing so.

Even the girls will get involved. Our oldest, Tori, LOVES to bet against her Dad. But she knows he loves the Bengals. I have a beautiful piece of Bengals art that she created that hangs in our home gym. This past season, we lined up every weeks' games. We picked our choices to win and calculated points. It's fun to have some competitive rivalry in the name of fun with your kids. Last year's Superbowl was an experience. All four girls were with us to watch the game. There was next to no emotion from the four of them for the first two quarters. Then came the halftime show which featured The Weeknd (yes, that's how he spells it) as entertainment. It was mass hysteria in our family room. Our four daughters sang and danced and screamed as if they were at an actual concert. It was mayhem. Even Shannon got in on it. When the game resumed, it was as if nothing had happened. Zero emotion. Zombies. Ahhh, the life of a dad of daughters. But this year it's different. OH so different. Dad's team is going to the big game.

Two weeks ago, during the AFC final, I was under the weather. I had woken up and checked the score. We were down 21-3. I was already not feeling well, and that score just added to my defeat. The bedroom door opened, and Shannon, ever the supportive wife, came in to let me know the game was on. Recalling the score, I dismissed it and said it didn't matter. (further proof that when a man is ill, he may as well be on his death bed.) As I was already up, I decided to come downstairs. Our daughter Camryn wasted no time in putting the game on for me. the score was now 21-10 going into halftime. What followed was a comeback for the ages. We went to overtime. We forced an interception that led to the game-winning field goal. (This kicker is on FIRE by the way.) I was in shock. We had gone from a 4-11-1 season last year to AFC champions. We were Superbowl bound.

"And you were going to miss this game." The sarcasm in my wife's voice was undeniable and toned with the same passion that an aunt has when she pinches her favorite nephew's cheeks. She was right. Lesson learned. It's not over until it's over. If you're a fan, you're a fan. Through the highs and the lows. Just like in a family. Just like in marriage. She was so happy for me. Camryn was so happy for me. It became clear to me that they knew what this meant to Dad. This is Dad's moment. That for me meant more than the win itself.

So this weekend I will be the biggest and greatest Bengals fan there is. Best of all, I will be with my biggest fans, my family. And once it's all said and done and the celebrations are over, regardless of the final score, I will still be a big winner.

And marriage season will resume Monday. Just in time for Valentine's.

"WHO DEY?!? WHO DEY?!? WHO DEY THINK GONNA BEAT DEM BENGALS?!?

WHO DEY?!? WHO DEY?!? WHO DEY THINK GONNA BEAT DEM BENGALS?!?

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOBODY!!!!!!"

Go Bengals.

Go Westanderveltsons.

Mike - The Herdfather