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WE ARE! NOT GOING TO LOSE!

FireFamily Talks Sports, videos 4 Responses »

Oct 252008

Oh, what a college football gameday. As you know, if you’ve read this blog at all on Saturdays this fall, we are (WE ARE!) Penn State (PENN STATE!) fans. You may have also caught onto the fact that we are living somewhere in Ohio State country. And, in case you missed it, Penn State, ranked #3 and undefeated, is playing Ohio State, ranked #9 and, ahem, not undefeated, tonight. There are no fans like Ohio State fans in terms of inappropriate behavior so we haven’t left the house today as we’re all decked out in Penn State gear. I didn’t even send BigBrother to preschool in his gear on Thursday as I didn’t want his first heckling experience to be without me present.

All the same the Fire Family is jazzed for tonight’s game. See?

(Note: Not sure where the last d in FireDad went or the closing parentheses. Those frames were right on the project. Very strange, no doubt.)

LittleBrother even got in on the action. (His huge smile is due to the fact that he kept throwing his sign on the ground. BigBrother thought this was hilarious and was laughing those big belly laughs that he is known for.)

Ah, raising little Nittany Lions.

All the same, yes, I’m nervous about tomorrow’s game. I thought about not posting. Because I’m sure that even if we win, certain friends of ours are going to have something (or, lots of things) to say. But, come on. Undefeated! Going into a big, big game! Of course I had to post!

If I have to eat crow tomorrow, well, so be it. But as one of our OSU fans said when discussing the game two weeks ago, what kind of fan would I be if I wasn’t supporting a win. And so, with that, the Fire Family predicts a very close, very interesting but, ultimately, Penn State prevailing game.

BigBrother says so. “BEAT A BUCKEYS, KAY?!” Right on, BigBrother.

Edited at 11:21pm EDT: Nerve-wracking, nail-biting, totally awesome game. WIN!

Make or Break Week: Silly Badgers

FireFamily Talks Sports 4 Responses »

Oct 112008

I don’t like the Wisconsin Badgers. It has less to do with football and more to do with an ex-friend from college who stole my boyfriend and was infatuated with the school. Petty? Sure. But I’ll just turn my negative feelings towards the guys in uniform and yell from my couch (quietly as the game is an 8:00pm start and that’s after TheBrothers’ bedtime) and all should be well.

The good news, of course, is that Wisconsin is kind of sucking it up this year. They’re 0-2 in conference play and I’m almost ready to feel smug. But I’m keeping it in check because I don’t want the OSU fans who live all around me to make me eat crow in church tomorrow. The truth is that while they have two conferences losses, they weren’t exactly blowouts. And so, our guys need to keep their heads in the game and deliver a sound, secure defense and a high-scoring offense.

Wouldn’t it be awesome to be 7-0 going into the Michigan game? (FireDad and I hate Michigan almost as much as we hate Ohio State. In fact, maybe more, because we root for OSU to beat Michigan when they play each other.) I have no idea what this evening’s outcome will be. Only that the outcome will occur way past my bedtime and I will be exhausted in church tomorrow morning. Again. Late night football is killing me, folks!

Today’s picture comes courtesy of HeatherK who sent us the awesome 3T sweatsuit for BigBrother. I couldn’t locate one in the right size on eBay and found two other sites that were sold out so she graciously dressed my oldest son. BigBrother loves it because he “matches” LittleBrother! Thanks, Heather! (This poor, poor shot also brought to you by two boys who are far too interested in the fact that they have their playroom back. Alas.)

Conference Play is Here!

FireFamily Talks Sports 3 Responses »

Sep 272008

Reading the first few paragraphs of ESPN’s preview of tonight’s Penn State, Illinois matchup, well, your stomach may turn like mine did. It’s true. We’re 4-0. But against non-conference teams that weren’t all that great. And while Oregon State did beat USC (woo!) on Thursday night, I’m still not convinced it was because they’re an amazing team (shown by the slamming we threw down on them). I’d venture to guess it was because USC came into the game with the cocky attitude coming off of the embarrassment they served to Ohio State the week before and, well, we all know what happens when you come into a game with a cocky attitude. You get served right back.

All the same, conference play means that it is time to get real. And the reality is that Illinois beat Penn State last year. And that can create nerves. I mean, if it is creating nerves for me, some work-at-home-mom who just so happens to be a football fanatic, well, I’m sure it might create a nerve or two for the guys running around on the field.

However, when I read this post about Illinois’ current statistics, well, I felt a bit better. Basically? Penn State is coming into this game will a whole bunch of advantages. If we can refrain from fumbling the ball (ahem), we should be able to prevail. As a bonus point, the Nittany Lions have won all five of the games against Illinois that happened in Happy Valley. As an added bonus point, fans are bringing the White Out tonight. (Did you get chills? I got chills. So wish we were there!) I don’t see Illinois leaving Beaver Stadium in a very triumphant manner tonight.

As long as Penn State keeps the cockiness about their previous wins and the statistics in the locker room. Leave the cockiness to those of us sitting in the stands. Or, uhm, on our couches.

It Feels Like Football Outside

FireFamily Talks Sports 5 Responses »

Sep 202008

We’ve got one week left before conference play starts. I’m not particularly excited about today’s Penn State game. I mean, Temple? Really? We’ve won 26 games in a row against Temple. And, if you’re a Penn State fan and you are honest with yourself, we have had some not-so-awesome team compositions over the past twenty-six years. What does that say about Temple then? Not much at all.

But still. We will tune in. A bit later than the 12:00 start on the Big Ten Network as FireDad is teaching the county fire school today. (Which means he’ll come home smelling like fire!) BigBrother is getting excited about football games (even on TV) and they usually result in tossing our football (carefully) around the living room. He likes to yell, “TOUCHDOWN!” even when no one has scored. But I do suppose that expecting a not-quite-three-year-old to know the rules of football already is a little too much, right? Definitely by his November birthday, right? I kid. Kind of.

LittleBrother’s Penn State sweats came in Monday’s mail and I found him a seventy-five cent hat at a second-hand store. So, minus socks, he’s now able to support Penn State from head to toe. Also, in the past day, he has started to say ball! And everything, all day, is all about balls. Ball? Ball? BALL! BALL! If he sees a ball, he repeats it over and over and over until you give it to him. It’s really quite adorable. I haven’t yet taken a video as we were home on The Farm for grandpa’s funeral. But I did snap some pictures of the Nittany Lion-ed out outfit this morning.

Hopefully BigBrother’s 3T gear will have been puchased by next week. For some reason, that size is impossible to find in something that isn’t silly looking or overly expensive. Yes, I’m choosy and cheap. Works against me at times.

And so, on this very crisp (63 degrees now) fall day, the Fire Family is going to gear up for what should be an easy win and begin looking forward to conference play next week. In the words of FireDad, he wouldn’t care if everyone in the Big Ten beat Illinois. Even Ohio State. And that’s saying something coming from FireDad.