Baseball. Yay!

Well baseball season has officially started. The Rice Owls have played 4 games and in fact will have played 5 before I can even make it to one of them. I guess I’m off the hook for the ones in California that opened the season, but I was sad to miss the first home game against the coogs on Wed. We won, so I guess that is all that is important. I hope Rog appreciates the sacrifice I made, as I was out in Humble celebrating his 30th birthday. Geez. You’d think the guy would have enough respect for me to not turn thirty on our home opener. Some people.

This weekend is the annual College Classic that the Astros host. It’s usually a really good tournament field, and this year is no different. The Owls will be taking on UCLA Texas A&M and Baylor. Of those 4 teams, the Owls are the lowest ranked. And we’re number 10 for pete’s sake. Baylor is 6, UCLA 9 and A&M... Well lets talk about A&M.

My father and I have entered a period we like to call “radio silence.” I told him this week that he succeeded in forming me in his own mold…its just too bad we don’t cheer for the same team. You see, when Rice plays A&M in any sport, but mainly baseball, we have decided that the best way to not say something we will later regret, is just to not talk to each other for a period of time surrounding the game. Before we instituted this policy, the time before the game was spent talking trash and the time after was spent gloating or complaining about the terrible umpires, fans etc. Its just not in either my Dad nor I’s nature to not take things personally, and conversely not to push each other buttons. Even when we’re trying to be gracious winners, the other one typically interprets it as insufferable self righteousness. Don’t get me wrong. I grew up cheering for A&M. The first song I remember being able to sing on command was the Fight Song. I still love to see them succeed at the national level. But not in baseball. At least not at our expense. Baseball was supposed to be OURS! That was the deal I made with the universe when I went to Rice. I figured the fam could cheer for A&M in everything else, but come spring they could cheer for the Owls without having to feel like turncoats. I mean, my family doesn’t even really LIKE baseball. I’m the only odd ball in the bunch that loves it on any level much less college. But now? Oh no. They keep turning up in our Regionals in the post season, inundating our home field and really annoying the piss out of me. And even worse, the Aggies had to go and get ranked number one in the country and ruin it all. Thanks a lot universe. Glad to see you’ve got my back. And so. Nothing. No contact is the best way to handle it.


I guess no one will ever accuse of us not being passionate.