In honor of my daddy and his alma mater, and in nervous anticipation of the outcome of the game at Auburn on Saturday...here are my reflections on the intersection of two of my passions: LSU football and Italy.
I am missing way too much LSU excitement this football season, what with a pair of last-second victories vs. Tennessee and Florida. LSU is a master at keeping fans on the edge of their seats and on the verge of a heart attack: crazy calls, foolish fouls, bizarre last-second victories, and the inevitable defeats along the way. That all got me thinking about how LSU football is like Italy is like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, resulting in this comparison of some of their more infamous characteristics and claims to fame:
Yellow flags. Red tape.
Death Valley. The Colisseum.
Diehard fans. Striking workers.
The Mad Hatter. The Godfather.
Mardi Gras colors. Carnevale spirit.
Touchdowns. Artistic masterpieces.
Goal-line stands. Mafia crackdowns.
White jerseys at home. High fashion.
Faked field goal attempts. Tax evasion.
Overtime victories. Penalty kick shootouts.
Laissez les bons temps rouler. La dolce vita.
Cajun tailgating. Pizza and pasta and gelato.
Hail Mary (2002 Bluegrass Miracle). Hail Mary.
3-time national champions. 4-time World Cup champions.
Excessive turnovers. Over sixty government turnovers since WWII.
Questionable clock management. Trains and buses unconstrained by the clock.
Must I geaux on? At this college and in this country, everything must be done with dramatic flair. Win or lose. Rain or shine. Absurd or agonizing. Unpredictable and undeniable. Implausible and improbable. Paradox: Somehow it works (in the long run). And thrives.
Like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
In Democracy Italian Style, Joseph LaPalombara explains how Italians have fashioned "stratagems" through the centuries to counter-act the seemingly overwhelming bevy of political excesses: "Democracy, Italian style, is above all else the art of permitting free government to endure under conditions that logically appear highly improbable." He compares the endurance and overall success of Italian political society to the famous tower with the telltale tilt: both somehow manage to remain standing against the odds.
Such is my team, with its counterintuitive stratagems. Such is my life: "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed" (II Corinthians 4:8-9).
Leaning, but not falling down.
Pisa, 2007
Tiger Stadium aka Death Valley, 2006
Wow, did this bring back memories, when we went down for Pops' funeral in New Orleans and tacked on an LSU game...I love your Bible verse and yes, we may be struck down, but we are not destroyed! Also love the comparisons between LSU football and Italy :)
ReplyDeleteLove the picture of your family at the game!! You guys are too cute. Didn't realize you have the football bug like your mom. I know your dad must have loved that!
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