Game Night (Updated)

Tonight is a somewhat big night for my family. After a couple weeks of practice, my 6-year-old son, Ty, is playing in his first football game. As Bart Scott might say: Can't Wait!

People keep asking me if I'm nervous. No way! Maybe I should be, but I'm not.

Ty played in a scrimmage a few days ago – I never imagined my tiny son, who nearly seven years ago was a 4-pound premie – would ever be playing right tackle. But now he's about as big as the other guys on the team and so far is doing a pretty good job anchoring the offensive line and pushing through on defense.

Ty hasn't yet developed a feel for the game. That's my fault. I need to get him out a little more and try to get him to watch football on TV. (We have a tentative date in front of the big screen tomorrow night for the Cowboys-Giants game.)We've done a little football watching together, but he needs to learn, from me, more of the game basics. For example, I'm not sure he knows that, while on defense, he needs to locate the ball carrier and go after him. I think the only thing going through his mind is: "Hit somebody."

And, oh, he loves to hit people. He hits the opposition. He hits his teammates. He hits after the whistle. He hits in the huddle. And the other day at scrimmage, I loved every minute of it. Well, I didn't love it when he hit another boy from behind and knocked the boy to the dirt. The whole crowd let out a collective groan. I wanted to hide behind under the bleachers.

But tonight should be a blast. Ty, who wears number 15 for the Bears, plays against the Chiefs. I'll be there with my camera, my wife, Tina, and daughter, Gracie, laughing, cheering and hoping to the gridiron gods that Ty doesn't dislocate some poor kid's neck… after the whistle. Because you know, before the whistle, anything goes. 

UPDATE: Guess who recorded a quarterback sack in his first ever Pee-Wee football game last night. I think it was a busted play, but Ty took advantage of the moment, bursting through the line and tacking the Chiefs' QB for about a three-yard loss. He was so excited afterward, he wanted to go over to the high school field and watch the junior varsity team. By the way, Ty's Bears lost a thriller, 16-14. Tonight begins the season for Gracie's cheerleading squad. She's yelling (I hope she yells) for the Falcons this season.