'Twas The Day After Football

'Twas the day after football, and I was all pumped.
My team was the winner, not one little slump.
I headed for the party, lots of great cheer,
to talk with my cronies and have a good beer.

The restuaraunt was crowded, winners and losers quite loud,
discussing the game, all the highs and the lows.
When what to our wondering eye should appear,
but the ultimte fan still dressed in his gear.

He was covered in team colors from his head to his foot,
he even wore a wig, the color right down to his roots.
He laughed and jeered, poked some in the chest,
all while claiming his team was the best.

He called people names, he made fun of the other team,
said he was The Man, and then he would preen.
Despite all his spirit, he drained all the fun,
and no one felt jolly, not even those who had won.

Then a voice tried to whisper,
but kids under 10, can't sooooo..
I heard a voice ask their mom, "what's up with that mister?
He is acting worse than my kid sister.
He called those people an awful name,
because of some silly game?"

The Fan, oh he heard, and his face looked mean,
he stalked on over, he opened his mouth, and he looked
ready to scream.
He went red in the face, I am not sure he could see, and
the whole room went silent, waiting to flee.

The mom, she quivered, but she got ready for battle
when a friend The Fan came with, said with mettle,
"Hey, dude, you are being an asshole."
(I don't need to rhyme here.)
"The kid is right, you are being a shrew. We hate to be seen with you,
people think we are in the same crew. You scream and you yell, you take all the joy,
quite frankly you act like a little boy. Winning, losing-it don't mean a thing,
you get all upset and make a big scene. We try to come when you aren't here,
but you show up anyway since we are your peers.

The Fan stood still, then turned about,
looking around as if the friend was in doubt.
But every face that looked his way,
was in agreement he needed to change-
there was no need to be nasty after the game.

"I am not a bad person," The Fan said with a tear,
"I love sports, and I love the cheers. I help out at my church,
I work with the poor, I don't do drugs, or go over-board.
His friend, he hugged him and nodded his head, "We know dude, you are usually nice,
except when your team is playing anything, even mice."

The Fan was changed, he came again,
but the next time he wore a grin.
No more kicking and screaming and shoving about,
he turned into someone we all liked having around.

The kid taught us something that some of us forgot,
that winning is fun and we like a lot,
but at the end of the game, the world still hurts,
poverty, homelessness, and illness still lurch.
And while it is fun, to be free for a few hours,
let's not party till everyone is sour.


I am glad the Ducks won the Civil War, but it was a good game all around, and we will be routing for every Pac-10 team this bowl season, Ducks and Beavers like. Happy Football Watching to all, and to all a good game.