Some Fans Can Just Be Jerks. Period.

      Sunday afternoon was spent at Bryant Denny Stadium with my kiddos and hubby. It's a tradition. We have been going to Alabama Football's Fan Day for as long I can remember. It's the one time that my kids can be up close and personal with the players, grab lots of autographs from the players and coaches and even get a few pics with Big AL and the cheerleaders. It's a laid back super fun day in Tuscaloosa. We usually make our Christmas card on the field. Yes, we are those people. :) #RollTideYall

Traditional Family Photo on the Field!

     This day was no different until......right at the very end of the autograph session in the middle of the field, yes the middle of the football field, the players were walking back to the end zone. It was crazy busy and hectic. One of the players, (pretty sure it was Austin Shepherd), stopped and asked my boy if he wanted his football gloves. My boy was over the moon excited!! He said "here ya go buddy".  We spotted #85 Malcom Faciane and got a quick pic with him. I turned around and was trying to get a pic of my girls with another player and that's when it happened.

Love this picture so much more now.

     Apparently, some jerk had seen the player hand my boy his gloves. As I was turned around there was a man that told my little guy that he was a manager and needed the gloves back. ARE YOU KIDDING ME??  I didn't see it happen but my boy said as soon as the man walked off he handed the gloves to a little boy (maybe 5 years old). He just took something away from my boy that he was so proud of. I mean, WHAT KIND OF PERSON DOES THAT?? That's like snatching away a homerun baseball that a kid is trying to catch. Seriously. Grown men need to GROW UP.

     I didn't realize this was happening. It was very hectic. The players and fans were being rushed off of the field. The announcers were telling everyone to leave. My boy started telling me what happened. My husband didn't even see it either. It happened within two seconds.

     What REALLY makes my blood boil about this situation is that I could go buy my boy some new gloves. Heck, I could have stood on the field and ordered them from Nike.com from my phone. That's not the point. Is this guy REALLY going to snatch something like that from an 11 year old kid?? COME ON. That was a jerk thing to do.

     What that jerk doesn't realize is that my boy can't EVER play tackle football. That's right I said EVER. I don't talk about this too much because we try not to make a big deal about it at home. Justin has Von Willebrands disease (bleeding disorder) and when he was around two years old we heard these words from the Pediatrician. "I'm sorry. He can play sports, just not contact sports. No football, no wrestling, no diving on the swim team". At that moment, there was a look on my husbands face that I never want to see again. For the love, we live in the heart of the SEC. My husband was the quarterback of his football team. We eat, breathe, sleep Alabama football here. Crazy I know but that's just the way it is.

     We are a competitive and sporty family. That's just the way that we are wired. Now I do not care if my boy EVER plays a down of football in his life. In fact, it's probably a good thing. I am thankful and blessed that he is here and that contact sports are his only set back. It could be MUCH worse. However, that doesn't help when he tells me that he wants to be on the team. He wants to wear a jersey to school. All of his friends play and he can't. He's fast and he's a big boy. He's "ALL-BOY"...people ask me CONSTANTLY why I don't let him play. Then I have to go into the spill. ugh.

     I'm really trying to not be a spoiled sport about this but my "Mama Bear" has kicked in and I hope that guy thinks about what he did. Clearly, he doesn't know how many times I've tucked my little guy in at night and wiped away tears. He doesn't know how many heart to hearts I've had about playing football. He doesn't know that I've told my boy ONE THOUSAND times..."Just think, If you're not playing football, then you can be their biggest fan ever." No I don't really think he knows that.

     It's not about the gloves. It's about treating people decently. I had to tell my boy that there are just mean people in the world and people will go to ANY length to get things that they want. They are just gloves and one day I'm sure something really good will come of all this. But in the meantime, my heart was just crushed for him. Unfortunately, this is a life lesson that he just had to learn.

Proud Mom Moment. 

     Regardless, we will still go to Fan Day again next year. We still love our Crimson Tide, we made great memories Sunday and we know that there are just idiots out there in the world. It doesn't make it any better but it does give me consolation in knowing that I can teach my kids how NOT to treat people. Perhaps the lesson in all of this is much better than any pair of football gloves. And for that, I am thankful. :)