THE PIGSKIN COMETH

     It should come as no surprise to regular CoffeeSpoons readers to learn that I am beginning to get very eager for the upcoming football season to begin.  It happens about this time every year.  No matter how much I'm enjoying baseball, hiking or any other pastime, there's a certain void in my sports life that can only be filled when I see the oblong-shaped ball teed up and the helmets start clashing.  I'm hungry for it.  I long for it.  I want it.  

     I love both college and pro football.  Once the season begins, I will start performing daily checks of the "Sports on the Air" segment of The Courier-Journal to see what games are going to be televised locally.  I always wonder why they don't show the Canadian Football League anymore.  When I was a kid the CFL was on every week during its season, and I enjoyed watching it very much.  The CFL season is in full swing right now, and watching it would be the perfect appetizer to whet my appetite for the American season.  The league is filled with former American college players such as U of L great Stefan LeFors, whom I would love to watch play.  

     My greatest football passion is for the Louisville Cardinals.  I've been attending their home games for nearly forty years. (Not all of them, of course, but as many as I can.)  After achieving astounding success just three years ago, the Cards have now stumbled upon hard times.  I truly believe that the hard times will be no more than a temporary glitch.  Despite gloomy forecasts for the upcoming season, I find myself getting pumped about the Cards again this year. There is a lot of talent there. I'm hoping that the current coaching staff will be able to prove the naysayers wrong.  If not, there may be a new coaching staff in place next year. 

     In addition to Louisville, I'll be attending home games at Navy and Illinois this year.  Both are outstanding college football venues, and I'm psyched to be able to cheer on both the Midshipmen and the Illini in person.  I also think it would be fun to travel to Western Kentucky to see a game in their new stadium.  I plan to do that at some point. 

     In the NFL, my first allegiance is to the Cincinnati Bengals.  I've also become a fan of the Indianapolis Colts.  I currently use much of my spare time devouring information from the web sites of both teams, studying their rosters, depth charts and schedules for the coming season.  I suspect that I must have been a football coach in another life. 

     The Louisville Cardinals begin play at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on Saturday, September 5th.  The NFL regular season kicks off on September 10th.  I'm licking my chops, looking forward to those days with eager anticipation.