What It Might Be Like To Live In A Football Town

Tonight I went to my cousin's football game. He plays for Germantown Academy and they were facing Upper Dublin which is right in my backyard. I live so close that I can actually hear the band practicing. The practice paid off because they were pretty good. Anyway as I sat watching the relatively unexciting game, UD won 20-6, I thought about what it might be like to live in a football town.

I live in a small town in PA called Ambler and it is certainly not a football town. No one in the community really goes to Upper Dublin's game unless they go to the school or know kids on the team. It is not the kind of town where every single citizen goes out and supports the hometown team. They didn't attend the school, or know people on the team but they go to the games because that is what happens in a football town.

From what I've heard some of the greatest football towns are in the Midwest especially in Texas. In these towns everyone goes out to support the local high school team. They are mostly small towns where everyone knows each other and they bond over their love of the team. In these towns you don't even have to like football to be a part of what really is the culture of your neighborhood. If you do love football, you'll fit right in. You won't be alone when you wear the team's tee shirt and fly their flag on your lawn. You'll go to the games and the small high school field will be packed with you, your family, your neighbors and all of the other people who live right around the corner. The entire town shuts down to on Friday nights and goes to the field to watch the team play under the lights. When other people talk about Brady, Manning and Bush, you're talking about who plays for your local team. Those kids become heroes and in the family atmosphere everyone in the town is talking about how they love them.

Colleges have their own football culture especially schools like Texas, PSU, Florida, LSU and Michigan among many others. These schools have enjoyed a great football tradition for many years and come game time the stadium is packed and it is electric.

It is hard to imagine that small towns in Texas can command this same kind of attention but it is exactly what happens in a football town. As much as crazy college students who paint their bodies can cheer for their school, their team, people in football towns do the same things. They tailgate in the parking lot, they paint their faces, wear their team's colors and can honestly say they are cheering for their team.

In some of these small towns, the local high school football team means even more to the people than a professional team does. There is just something about these high schools and these kids that just bring an entire community together. That is a football town and that seems like a great thing to be a part of.

So maybe one day I'll move to a small town in Texas and learn about the tradition of the local team. I'll wear their colors, buy my favorite player's jersey, fly the flag on my lawn and preach to my kids that this is the team we cheer for. It's not about the Dallas Cowboys who are considered America's team. It won't be about TCU, Rice or the "Hook em Horns." No, because in the football towns it is about your team, the local team. I'll go to every game, cheer on the tradition that is high school football and become part of something that is much bigger than just rooting for a team. This is what I would love to be a part of.

If anyone has ever lived in or been to a football town, I'd love to hear your stories!

Just a taste of what this must be like and one of my favorite songs!

Welcome back football and welcome back boys of fall!