[caption id="attachment_96" align="aligncenter" width="511" caption="Me and Dad (sorry I had to crop you out Mom...)"]
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Note: This post is about my dad's birthday and it won't deal with Donovan McNabb, Sidney Rice, Ryan Longwell, free agency, or even football that much. I'll be back with my thoughts on this 'football' business in just a bit
Like a lot of kids, I grew up rooting for my dad's favorite teams. As such, I've been a Vikings, Tigers, and Spartans fan my whole life, and I can't imagine anything changing that fact.
However, one thing I have to deal with a lot are the questions as to why I root for the Vikes. The short answer is my dad, but the long answer is the one I usually give. My dad grew up in Mexico City, so they would usually only get one game a week. Back then, the Purple People Eaters and Fran Tarkenton were in their primes, and as such, the Vikings were on TV a lot. The best part is that my dad chose to become a fan because they had the coolest helmets (a statement that is still true today). Somehow, that stuck, and here we both are, tied to a franchise for life because of a helmet.
One of the things I love about sports is that it gives me something in common with my dad. No matter what goes on in reality, we can always fall back and talk about how much Tarvaris Jackson sucks. We get to escape from chores and obligations for a few wonderful hours every Sunday and just hang out. Win or lose, it's one of the highlights of my week.
When I have kids, I'm going to make sure they love the Vikings so that they can feel closer to me, and even better, to their Grandpa.
So happy birthday Dad!
...
And can you believe they let Rice go? What a bunch of clowns.
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