OT, things that really matter

[medinabuckeye1]

Five years ago today I took my dad to the B1GCG in Indianapolis.  We met up with @MarqHusker , @Roaddawg , and I can't remember which other Buckeye fans were there.  

Anyway, my dad is now 78 and has dementia and I couldn't take him on a trip like that anymore.  Enjoy your families while you can.  

[847badgerfan]

Yep, I haven't had a living father for 6+ years, and no living mother for almost 1 year now. Christmas is gonna be different this year, again, that's for sure. Of course, I wish they were here. Always will, until I'm not here.


So I echo your sentiment. Enjoy it all while you can. ALL of it.

[MrNubbz]

Good Posts both the folks passed away 10-12 yrs ago.However my oldest brother whom I was very close to passed away 4 yrs back,unexpected and painful.So ya keep the hearths glowing

[Cincydawg]

Most of our kids are coming for Christmas, including the family of 6 from France.  I was partially ruing the noise that four grandkids can generate, but this is a good reminder to enjoy the noise.

I get used to my very quiet life here.

One of mine is having a second knee surgery and won't make it.

[Honestbuckeye]

 Great topic.  
- watching Tyler Trent receive his award last night reminded me why I was not at all disappointed when Purdue kicked Ohio states ass. It made their kids week, month, year.

- my father, who was drafted in three pro sports, and was the president of a very successful manufacturing firm, and who never took a nap in his life or hired a contractor to do anything around the house because he did that all himself, has been wheelchair bound for about a year now as his Parkinson’s and oncoming dementia is ravaging him. His worst fears  we’re always being confined and not being able to do anything and it really sucks to watch it.

-Mom who was married to dad at the age of 19 since they dated beginning as 15-year-old high school sophomores, has COPD, which restricts her to oxygen tanks and limited travel. For this condition it is amazing how optimistic, cheerful, humorous and fun to be around that she really is.

Now that my two daughters are in their 20s in on their own the holidays take on a different type of meaning—but they are still the holidays and they are still my family and I will enjoy every second. I hope you all do the same.
By the way/ I appreciate all of you and our group her- it adds nice flavor to life, humor and perspective. Thank you.  

PS: what made me think of this was medina’s reference to his father.
Used to take dad golfing, fishing, and watch football together and what I would not give to be able to do that again.

[OrangeAfroMan]

My mom died a long time ago, when I was 20.  But my dad is still around and still working a lot.


Growing up we had a time-share right on the beach in St. Pete.  Last week of summer - it was perfect.  But as my brother and I grew up, we got rid of it.  So almost 20 years pass, and I get nostalgic for it and look it up - see how much it would cost.  It was much cheaper than I thought it would be, so I call up my brother and my dad and invite them.  I thought it would be a nice full-circle payback thing.

But he was having some medical issues (nothing serious, but he couldn't travel) and couldn't come.  I still went, because my brother isn't exactly financially able, and we shared the week together reminiscing.  But age and health prevented my dad from being able to take part.  It sucked and I felt guilty to be there, but he insisted.  

[SFBadger96]

There are people who scoff at entertainment of all kinds, including sports, as a frivolous thing. And in some way it's true that who carries a leather ball across a painted line really doesn't matter. But the last time my sister and I shared a moment that her cancer didn't dominate was watching *our* Wisconsin Badgers play Kentucky in the final four in 2014 (the only time in our lives that we attended the same school was my senior year in Madison, her first year as a PhD candidate there). Her cancer was advanced and she was on oxygen, but for two hours or so, she, her kids, and I watched one hell of a basketball game--and none of us focused on cancer.

It hurt when the Badgers lost on a desperate three in the dying seconds, but the memory is priceless. She passed away that June.

Don't tell me that college sports don't matter.

[847badgerfan]

We have a lot of humans here on this board.

[ELA]

There are people who scoff at entertainment of all kinds, including sports, as a frivolous thing. And in some way it's true that who carries a leather ball across a painted line really doesn't matter. But the last time my sister and I shared a moment that her cancer didn't dominate was watching *our* Wisconsin Badgers play Kentucky in the final four in 2014 (the only time in our lives that we attended the same school was my senior year in Madison, her first year as a PhD candidate there). Her cancer was advanced and she was on oxygen, but for two hours or so, she, her kids, and I watched one hell of a basketball game--and none of us focused on cancer.

It hurt when the Badgers lost on a desperate three in the dying seconds, but the memory is priceless. She passed away that June.

Don't tell me that college sports don't matter.

I think it's important, as you have, to distinguish the importance of sports from the importance of sports results.  I still try to go to one Michigan football game per year with my dad, not because I care who wins, but because my entire childhood I went to every game with him, and I know someday I won't anymore.
It's funny, when I was much younger, my brother and I would rotate between going with our dad and going with our grandfather, each of them having 2 season tickets in different parts of the stadium.  As my grandfather got older, he would go to a couple games in October, but the early games were too hot, and the later games were too cold once he was into his 70s.  So he started giving me his tickets a few times a year, to take a friend.  My 10 year old self was stoked to get to go to a game with a friend, I didn't have to go with family!  My 35 year old self only remembers the games I sat with him, and wishes he could have gone to more.  The most memorable game with him was actually a losing effort, the Kordell Stewart hail mary game.  The last one I actually sat with him for was the 1998 home finale when Michigan upset a 9-0 Wisconsin team to end their national title hopes.  The last time I used his tickets (he kept them, and kept paying for them almost a decade after he went to any games at all anymore) was for the Manningham catch against Penn State in 2005.  We actually celebrated his 90th birthday that weekend, and he was in great health, just didn't have home football games in him anymore.  He died a week before the 2006 season started.
That's why I'm bummed I couldn't go to a game this year with my dad.  The year before I went to the Michigan-Rutgers game.  It was lousy.  It was freezing, the game was bad, and I would choose to go again in a heartbeat, because one of these games will be the last one I go to with him, and I might not know at the time that it is.

[huskerdinie]

I agree with most of you that it is the time spent at a sporting event more than the results that make the lasting memories.  I tend to not remember the exact year my dad passed but can't help remember it was the day after Christmas.  However, I do remember the last game he took me to.  2009 Nebraska vs Oklahoma in Lincoln.  Turned out to be a good old fashioned slugfest that I think we won 10-3.  Remembering Dad's chuckles whenever Suh threw someone around is priceless.  

After Mom's health prevented her from going to the games, he would usually give me one set of tickets for a game as a birthday present and then give away or sell the rest, so I was doubly pleased that he went to that game with me - and I tell you what, he was in better shape than me - I was huffing and puffing trying to keep up with him, lol.  By the next year he gave me his ticket to the Ohio State game in Lincoln and I took my grandson instead.  Dad passed that Christmas from acute leukemia that was diagnosed just after Thanksgiving.  He was gone so quickly but the memories of those few games we went to together and all the years of Thanksgiving Nebraska football are memories that I will cherish forever.  My grandson (who is not a sport fan, btw) thanked Dad every time he saw him for giving him that ticket and thus another generation has wonderful family memories to cherish. 

[ELA]

I think it's important, as you have, to distinguish the importance of sports from the importance of sports results.  I still try to go to one Michigan football game per year with my dad, not because I care who wins, but because my entire childhood I went to every game with him, and I know someday I won't anymore.
It's funny, when I was much younger, my brother and I would rotate between going with our dad and going with our grandfather, each of them having 2 season tickets in different parts of the stadium.  As my grandfather got older, he would go to a couple games in October, but the early games were too hot, and the later games were too cold once he was into his 70s.  So he started giving me his tickets a few times a year, to take a friend.  My 10 year old self was stoked to get to go to a game with a friend, I didn't have to go with family!  My 35 year old self only remembers the games I sat with him, and wishes he could have gone to more.  The most memorable game with him was actually a losing effort, the Kordell Stewart hail mary game.  The last one I actually sat with him for was the 1998 home finale when Michigan upset a 9-0 Wisconsin team to end their national title hopes.  The last time I used his tickets (he kept them, and kept paying for them almost a decade after he went to any games at all anymore) was for the Manningham catch against Penn State in 2005.  We actually celebrated his 90th birthday that weekend, and he was in great health, just didn't have home football games in him anymore.  He died a week before the 2006 season started.
That's why I'm bummed I couldn't go to a game this year with my dad.  The year before I went to the Michigan-Rutgers game.  It was lousy.  It was freezing, the game was bad, and I would choose to go again in a heartbeat, because one of these games will be the last one I go to with him, and I might not know at the time that it is.

And I should add, over Thanksgiving, he and I took my 5 year old to a UM-Chattanooga basketball game.  He wanted a picture there with his grandson so bad, and I thought it was pretty damn cool too, to see the two of them.  We also figured MAYBE we'd make it a half before the 5 year old was done...we left at the under 4 timeout at the end of the game.

[OrangeAfroMan]

I miss playing catch with my dad.  I realized awhile back we'd never do it again, and that was hard.  I've traveled and visited amazing places, spent time with beautiful women, eaten exquisite cuisine...but if I had to look back and strip away everything down to my one favorite memory, it's probably just out in the yard playing catch with him.

[Cincydawg]

My Dad would play catch until I was about 12, almost every day.  I got to where I could throw too hard for him, he was getting older.

One of my favorite stories I heard from Phil Niekro was how his dad would come home exhausted from the coal mines and still go out back to throw the ball around with his sons.  Bruce dal Canton told me his dad did the very same thing.

I got to know Bruce a bit, he was a total class gentleman who doesn't get his due I think.  He told me John Smoltz was the best athlete he'd every seen before he met me.  OK, drop that last part.

He took 3 hours to give pitching instruction to my son when he was 13 or so.

Total class guy.

[Cincydawg]

This must be one of the real scenes from "Field of Dreams" that many of us relate to.