A – State
The Scene…
It’s a chilly, rainy fall day in North Georgia. I am settled up on the couch with a friend after we spent the early part of the day at a soggy Sanford Stadium in Athens. My aunt and uncle are out of the house for the evening so I am in charge of making sure my cousins get fed and stay out of trouble.
Like a good cousin, I made sure the kids were fed and everything in the house was taken care of, because in just a few minutes my Sun Devils were taking on the fifth ranked team in the nation…The Stanford Cardinal. …it wasn’t long after kickoff before my excitement for the game turned to a bevy of hands-over-the-mouth profanities.
Well it wasn’t long after kickoff before my excitement for the game turned to a bevy of hands-over-the-mouth profanities. I sat there stewing on the couch, mad at the world. What a horrible way to end an otherwise good day, and nothing could cheer me up.
The Turning Point…
Just as I was about to give up on my beloved Devils, my 10-year-old cousin, Zander, steps in front of the TV with an old grey shirt. On the shirt, hand-drawn in sharpie, was the interlocked letters “A” and “S” just like the logo on the very old Sun Devil baseball cap he was sporting.
My 10 year old cousin Zander and his home-made Sun Devil shirt
“Does this look good?” he asked.
Zander’s mother is an Arizona State graduate, but his family isn’t exactly what you would call a “sports family.” But while I have been living with the family, Zander has taken to watching games with me, if only for a few minutes at a time.
He continued creating his own homemade Sun Devil shirt by drawing the pitchfork and writing “Sun Devils” across the top. Then in the second half, he plopped down right next to me on the couch to watch the game.
The Moment of Truth…
Somehow I was no longer upset about the impending Sun Devil loss on the gridiron. This 10-year-old kid just reminded me that being a Sun Devil is not all about winning or losing. Part of being a Sun Devil is about loving the people around you, and cherishing the time you have with them.
I’m immediately taken back to a time when I drew the “A” and “S” on every notebook I owned in elementary school. I think about how every Halloween pumpkin I’ve carved since I was 12 has been either a pitchfork or “ASU.”
I think of my parents who cultivated my love for the Sun Devils, and about how proud all of my friends from ASU would be of Zander right now. I’m reminded of the family that used to sit in front of us at Sun Devil Stadium, and even though their seats have moved we continued to tailgate with them. Their children are probably the same age as Zander.
every once in a while we need to take a moment and appreciate the people around us and the people who brought us to this point.
Sun Devil Family…
For some of us that have been doing this ASU thing for a long time it’s easy to get caught up in wins, losses, recruiting, ticket sales, in-game atmosphere and so many other things. But every once in a while we need to take a moment and appreciate the people around us and the people who brought us to this point.
Even though this is a big week for us Sun Devils, and we have been waiting for this game for what seems like 5 years now, there’s something I want you all to do. Take a few moments to think about the person or people who first sparked your passion for Arizona State.
Think about them and, if possible, give them a call, shoot them a text, send an email, just to say thank you. If that’s not possible for whatever reason, take a moment on Saturday, wherever you may be, and imagine that person by your side watching the Devils line up against Notre Dame with you.
Sun Devil Nation, you will all be with me in Dallas this Saturday, and I thank you.
#BeatTheIrish
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