Family, Sports, and Memories

Before the doctor said, "It's a girl," my dad already decided that I would be a New York sports fan regardless of my gender.  He was a passionate New York sports fan and adamant that his child share the same passion. Unfortunately, I lost my dad when I was 6 but he succeeded in instilling a great love of New York sports in me. In fact, the first words I can remember spelling were Yankee Stadium. Whenever we drove by the old stadium, I had an opportunity to win a dollar for a successful spelling. (Hey, back in the day a dollar was like winning the lotto.) This speical spelling game, which we only played, is my most vivid memory of my dad which I cherish to this day.


My love of New York sports started with my dad and continued to grow into adulthood. I guess that is why I don’t understand why some women complain about their husbands or boyfriends watching sports. I always tell my friends to throw on a pair of jeans, retire the heels for sneakers, sport a jersey (preferably a NY team), grab a beer, and enjoy the game.  Don't get me wrong, I love my heels but not everyday!  Besides, when else can one scream at the television and not be called crazy? Okay, maybe a little crazy but blame it on the beer.

The love for a sports team creates a bond between family members but also among sports fans.  This bond is undeniably strong even when one is in a stadium with thousands of strangers. The best example is a Jets home game!   From the minute the jumbo screen shows Fireman Ed on his brother's shoulder, the fans go crazy and like a conductor directs over 80,000 thousand fans in the famous Jets chant.  Sure, the chants are stronger and louder when the team is winning but the point is that the love for a sports team creates memories. In the end, it is all about spending time with the ones you love. Trust me. I have the memories to prove it.

By the way, what is your favorite sports memory?