Sorry about the extended hiatus. The much spoken of lump of excrement hit the fan at approximately 331 miles per hour this summer. Work turned into a 24/7 commitment. It has not changed, but I am determined to recover a portion of my normal existence even if it places me in the unemployment line.
I recently set aside a little time and attended the state championship basketball play offs for the Georgia Independent Schools Association. My experience was mixed. It was a complete study in both the parental dedication and the social awareness of adults in my community.
My son attends a private school in Macon Georgia. I am biased. Most of my negative observations were derived from the "opposing team". However, the truth must be presented. In short, that's the way it was. If the experience were any different, trust me, I would let the readers know. It wasn't.
To understand the atmosphere, I must first provide a little history about the schools in Macon, Georgia. The public school system serves approximately 25,000 students. However, I would estimate that approximately 6000 students attend private schools or home schools. There are many reasons for the large number of private schools in our community. I will not begin to discuss all. Two reasons remain evident. Half of these schools were founded during integration, and practically all have religious based curriculum. That is not to say that these reasons still exist. The schools have been around so long that they now exist on their own merits. I don't believe that parents place their children in private schools based on racial or religious prejudice. Each school has it's own community that includes students, faculty, parents, family, and alumni. The rivalries are real. The ties are strong. The schools are proud and the parents support all aspects of the institution. That is the reason for their existence. Think about the pride one feels for the college they attended. That is the same emotion we feel for our high schools. Some of the old pains are still evident. It is unfortunate, but it is true. I still say that parents make the financial sacrifice, because of the overall experience and the closeness that one feels at these schools. That is enough history. Now on to the game.
Sports rivalries in the south are and continue to be a religious experience. Not so much at the professional level (with the exception of the Atlanta Braves), but primarily at the high school and college level. Today, I am addressing High School Sports. The emotions are not only based on the team, but also on the fact that the players are our children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, neighbors and friends. It runs deep, and we mean business. We talk about local teens like they were professional athletes. We recruit in early grades. We have youth leagues that display the talents of 5,6,and 7 year old children. We focus on the talent. It is not a politically correct process. We are not here to make sure everyone gets equal playing time. We are here to win, period. Winning isn't everything, it is the only thing. This passion is not built totally around the desire to be the winner, A large portion is based around the desire to destroy the opponent. We take as much pride in the fact that you lost as we do in picking up a win. I know that sounds bad, seeing that I am discussing high school sports, but I have to look you in the eye and say, so what ! I can't explain it. That is just the way it is.
My recent attendance at the basketball finals exposed this unreasonable desire to win. As expected, the players always want to win; I am discussing the desire of the parents and fans. I witnessed verbal assaults on opposing players. Profanity used on every bad play. Understand, it was not a public spectacle. Here is an example; the parent yells "come on catch the ball". He then leans over to a buddy and whispers "that son of a bitch couldn't catch the bird flu in a Chinese bath house". The feral anger that was directed at the game officials was not so discreet. If the call was close to being questionable, the pitch forks and shovels were raised. If the game is close. parents close their eyes as if they were in a horror movie. I will often go to the restroom and listen to the crowd to determine the results of the game. I get to anxious. I always remained reserved. If someone observed me, they would not know that I was pulling for either team. That exponentially increases my inner emotions. I am big on demeanor. Always be respectful. I must say; it is all an act. We want our children to be successful and, we want our team to be successful for one reason. If they are successful, then so are we. Our efforts and sacrifices are justified. We stand a little taller. We walk a little prouder. That spirit sticker in our car window not only shows school pride, it reminds the driver behind you that we kicked your ass last night.
I have many close friends that attend rival schools. When we arrive at the game, we are cordial. We shakes hands, and hug each others wives. We ask about the kids and family. We talk about scheduling a golf game or possibly a hand of poker. "How is work"? "Did y'all catch any fish last week end ? In a matter of minutes, the preliminaries are over. The game is about to begin, and I want your kid to fail and fail miserably. I want them to miss every shot, strike out, fumble the ball, get pinned in record time, throw an interception, and generally play the worst game of their life. I will pat them on the back afterwards and take him out for a big o' pizza. But make no mistake about it; I wouldn't have it any other way. I can't explain it. It's not personal. It is communal. We all understand it. The feeling is mutual. Everyone has their own camp, and to each his own.
The girls state championship is tonight; so let's prepare. The battle will ensue. All logical rational will cease to exist and for a few minutes we will focus on our personal desire to conquer. The game will end; the smoke will clear and all will smile and nod. "Good game he said." "Damn right it was a good game." "We put a foot in your rear end." "We'll get you next time." "Yeah right, if our team bus flies over a cliff on the way to the game, you might have a chance." Do you want to have lunch on Monday?" "Absolutely"
To coin an old Georgia phrase, it is good clean hate. But understand; it is healthy. It builds pride, character, and respect among the students, and it allows us grown ups to hang onto those glory days that we so miss. It also creates a sense of community that will help keep the schools successful for years to come. O well back to the game; wait a damn minute...."foul ! what do you mean foul ? You blind SOB, get it the game for God's sake. You suck!! Man, I love this stuff.
