Happy Fathers’ Day Thread

General NCS Basketball NCS Football Tradition14

Best wishes to all Wolfpack fathers out there. As I expect with many of you, my blessed indoctrination began primarily with my father. Mom and Dad started taking me to games at C-F when I was an infant, and I missed a mere handful of home contests from infancy through high school. Dad was there with me in Reynolds when we beat UNC in 1983, the screams after Dean’s technical so loud that you couldn’t hear my baby sister (who was screaming at the top of her lungs – at least that’s what my eyes told me). The two of us took a trip on our own out to Nebraska to witness the fateful Murray State NCAAT game in 1988 (having your “follow the rules” Air Force veteran father pull you out of school for hoops was a big deal), during which the 14-year old version of me almost had a complete nervous breakdown. More than a decade later, I surprised him at Christmas with a Gator Bowl trip to watch us pound Notre Dame.

Living life as a Wolfpack fan is often a hard, unforgiving road, but it’s a heritage that I love and was proud to pass on to my 3 wonderful daughters. My heart glows with pride when I hear them talk of “stinky Carolina,” and when the mother of a classmate told me her son informed her that he might need to “convert” for one of my twins – from a Carolina to a State fan. Even if they still call most televised sports “football” and don’t watch every minute of TV games…they get it. We have 5 football LTRs for the family – and my Dad sits right in front of us. I make sure each kid gets to at least one basketball game every year. Being a State fan is a bit like fatherhood in general – not always easy, requiring a great deal of patience, perseverance, and unconditional love – but always worth it. It’s not a burden even when it’s hard.

On a lighter note, my first edict as President would be to move Fathers’ Day to the fall, so it coincides with football season. The networks would love this – everyone would show a doubleheader, with staggerred start times so that there is always football to watch as soon as the requisite big breakfast is over. And our wives and children would dutifully at least feign interest. Is everybody with me?

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

General NCS Basketball NCS Football Tradition

14 Responses to Happy Fathers’ Day Thread

  1. vtpackfan 06/17/2007 at 11:35 AM #

    I second your motion to officially move Fathers Day to the fall. A saturday would be best, be I could compromise a Sunday observance to get it done. (In the compromise I would hope language would be put in to ensure that the Fox annimated robot be given the weekend off).

    I only have one child, a girl who is almost two, and I am very gratefull for every miraculous moment I get to spend with her. She’s off to a great start it seems, no obvious signs of the “terrible two’s” coming on. Maybe some of her prodigous tendencies will be seen in the “early years” of the current football and basketball programs.

  2. choppack1 06/17/2007 at 2:03 PM #

    I vote for keeping Dad’s day as it is. I was lucky enough to be at Pinehurst on Father’s Day w/ my Dad when Payne Stewart won the US Open – and I have to say that was incredibly special. It’s also nice to go to an event that won’t be decided by officials.

  3. TNCSU 06/17/2007 at 2:26 PM #

    ^^no obvious signs of the “terrible two’s” coming on.

    Good luck, but it seems all of mine – I’ve got 4 – got the terrible “3’s” vice the terrible two’s.

    I also have to agree about moving it to the Fall. What’s better than a Saturday or Sunday afternoon of football in the fall??

  4. TNCSU 06/17/2007 at 2:28 PM #

    Okay, I know of several things “better” than that…..;) and I also didn’t remember the U.S. Open final round being on Sunday — don’t tell me who’s winning — I’m DVRing it. 🙂

  5. VaWolf82 06/17/2007 at 5:48 PM #

    Good entry. I’ve thought about doing an entry about the trip to B’burg to see the big win in BB with my son. It’s always neat to take in a game together with just my son.

    The week before the game, the friend who got me tickets called to tell me about another father/son planning on attending the game. The problem was that the father was undergoing chemotherapy and wasn’t sure if he could stay awake to drive home after the game. So I called him and we arranged a place to meet so that they could drive with us.

    The other father brought his laptop and the two boys watched a movie. We talked for two hours going and coming. My son and I had seats 12 rows behind the State bench, close to the base line. Courtney Fells highlight reel dunk was right in front of us.

    All in all, it was a great evening….Made a new friend, spent time with my son, got to watch him go crazy in the middle of VT alumni, and State won the game…..it doesn’t get much better than that.

    I took my camera to the game and captured a McCauley dunk with about 1 1/2 minutes left to play. I don’t know why, but this dunk started the Hokies around us to the exits. I had this shot printed out 8×10 and suprised my son with it on his birthday. A nice memento of a great evening.

    http://i111.photobucket.com/albums/n137/Steve_82/Basketball/CombinedB.jpg

  6. Sw0rdf1sh 06/17/2007 at 7:51 PM #

    My 3 year old son’s first game will be Clemson on the 22nd and I got us a room at the Comfort Suites just in case of a melt down.

    This is my first year as a season ticket holder and WPC member, I can’t wait for the next 50.

    The Father’s Day move is prolific. (sp?)

  7. highstick 06/17/2007 at 9:56 PM #

    Great post! I’ve probably said it before, but I’m a Wolfpack alum and my son is a Gamecock alum. I brought him up to be a Wolfpacker, but due to his interest in a major that N C State didn’t have, he went to USC. I support the Gamecocks as long as they aren’t playing the Pack and he reciprocates. Hopefully we’ll both be together to see our respective alma maters “steamroll” the Baby Blue together twice this fall!

  8. Elrod 06/18/2007 at 8:29 AM #

    All good ideas. My wish is that everyone would plan to do SOMETHING, ANYTHING with their father while you can. I lost my father last week and it is getting hard to come to the realization that I have sat with him at C-F, hit a golf ball with him, watched a baseball game with him, or anything else with him for the last time. Don’t put it off guys. Do it while you can.

  9. noah 06/18/2007 at 9:44 AM #

    Condolences to you and your family, Elrod.

    I’m happy to leave Father’s Day where it is. I loved watching the clips of dads and sons having a game of catch on the field at Fenway after yesterday’s game.

  10. WolftownVA81 06/18/2007 at 12:16 PM #

    I agree with Elrod. Doesn’t matter when you do it – just do it. With my son in summer school and daughter just moved to Newport News, VA, we had to delay our father’s day celebration. However, we rescheduled in September so all of us, including significant others, can go to RFK Stadium to see the Braves play the Nationals. I’ve taken both kids to see NCSU play basketball and football but alas, one graduated from UVA and the other is at VT. But like Highstick, we pull for each others school when not playing our own.

  11. noah 06/18/2007 at 1:00 PM #

    Sounds like a nice trip. My dad and my brother and I caught a series at RFK two years ago and had a really good time. Even if RFK is a dump…and even if there is no breeze inside that place. And even if the Nationals are a glorified AAA team.

    It was still fun.

  12. EverettBeez 06/18/2007 at 1:24 PM #

    My dad took a job at State in 72, and that fall we started going to what was then Carter Stadium for every home game. I don’t think I missed a game until college – although my folks sat in the good seats, and I sat with my two brothers in the old bleachers under the scoreboard. There were years when I sold drinks, and threes working in the press box, but all of that was because my dad taught me to love the team, although his alma mater, Nebraska, always came first in our hearts and our minds, lol.
    Basketball was the same, with two national championships in my memory – although I though I was in bed when we beat Marquette – I thought we’d won that saturday afternoon after the UCLA victory. I didn’t get to see many home games in the old barn because my folks just had the two tickets, and neither one of them could stand to stay home! But, working for the SID office, I got to sit on the court in high school, culminating with the 83 championship.
    Dad did bring home a bunch of guys – what a thrill to ride in Thompson’s red convertible Cadillac!!! – and the end result is I still bleed Wolfpack red, and I always will.
    We lived so close to campus (3 blocks to the library) that I couldn’t go to school there (mom suggested I live at home!!!) and I was making myself sick when the pack lost – I had to get away for my own sanity, first to App then to Mississippi.
    I just hate that we don’t live closer, and my daughter can’t enjoy the thrills of big time college sports. Where I teach is 2A, and just no one gives a darn. Everyone is Auburn or Alabama, and I went to Ole Miss, and I’ll be damned if she’s gonna cheer for either of those low-down, no account schools! So through TV she is learning though.
    Thanks Dad for taking a job at State, and for imparting to me the love of great college sports.

  13. WolftownVA81 06/19/2007 at 12:06 PM #

    No arguments from me Noah. That place hasn’t changed since I saw my last Redskins game their in 66′ or 67′.

  14. redfred2 06/19/2007 at 7:35 PM #

    I wasn’t very close to my two uncles, but both they and my father, were all three NCSU alums. My father swam and ran track at NC State, so I received the proper influences towards the color RED early in life. I only have one uncle left now, but he and my aunt wouldn’t miss a Wolfpack basketball game at home for anything in the world. They also still drive to a few road games when they can get tickets and the drive is within reason.

    Elrod’s post hit home a little bit. Sounds like he and his father shared some great times together. I did the same with my father, though we never went to a single NCSU game of any kind together. He loved the Wolfpack, but he loved the outdoors more, fishing mainly, and if he had a chance he’d drag me along with him to troll for walleyes and smallmouth bass until there wasn’t a ray of daylight left to get back to the dock. It was kind of monotonous, short attention span theatre and all when I was a very young boy, but I learned to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, the water and the mountains, and also learned a little bit about fishing from that old man. Now, even though he’s no longer around to share it, there is nothing I love doing any better. Just time on the water, fish biting or not, it’s in my blood and I always think of him and smile whenever I’m out there.

    I have three young daughters of my own now. I think the best way I could pay my father back for all that he gave me is to try my damnest to pass some of that same appreciation along to my own children. Maybe there is some room to reevaluate and do much more along those lines.

    But whether it is all about fishing, or watching sports and playing golf together as in Elrod’s case there, feel blessed for those times together. Just say thanks with no regrets. No father, or child, could ask for any better than those great experiences together anyway.

    Sorry to get sappy there, it comes with age I guess.

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