My earliest recollection of watching a football game was in 1970. My family was at my cousins' house, and Super Bowl IV was being played between two teams with the funny names of the Minnesota Vikings and the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City won that game by the way, 23-7, not that I knew it at the time. I would glance up at the black and white television every now and then, wondering why the players who had seemed so desperate to gain possession of the ball, would suddenly show no interest in it at all after a whistle blew.

In time, though, the sport grabbed hold of me and never let go. I have no memory of the next two Super Bowls, but I was hooked by the time Super Bowl VII rolled around, and the Miami Dolphins capped an unprecedented undefeated season with a 14-7 win over the Washington Redskins.

I had become a fan of the New York Giants, which wasn't easy in those days. The 1970s wasn't the best decade for the Giants, who never seemed to win. They had consecutive two-win seasons in 1973 and 1974, but I rooted for them just the same. My favorite player was Norm Snead, probably for no better reason than he was the Giants' starting quarterback (he had been acquired from the Vikings in a trade for Fran Tarkenton in 1971).

But football, particularly pro football, was in my bloodstream. It was my favorite sport. I had become fascinated with the game, and would delve into books, memorizing statistics and scores. I once won a bet with my father's friend, who didn't believe I could recite the final scores of each Super Bowl (there were only eight or nine Super Bowls played by then). We youngsters also played football. In my pre-teen mind, I would be drafted by the NFL. The only thing I had to figure out was how to find my way to the Giants.

We played tackle football in the park and touch football in the street for hours until darkness fell and our mothers called us home for dinner. I also played with a youth football club in Oceanside. As an eighth-grader, I played football seven days a week and loved it. Monday through Friday were for practices and games with the junior high school team. My club team practiced on Saturdays and played games on Sundays at Oceanside High School. I had a ball.

But my football-playing days came to an end the following year when I switched over to soccer, beginning an association with that sport that lasted for some 20 years. My future was in soccer, and I became a better soccer player than I ever would have been as a football player, I'm sure. Still, though, I wonder what it would have been like to play football in high school. It is amazing that, all these years later, such thoughts continue to run through my mind. Very strange. I can't help but feel that I missed out on something.

But even for a non-player, football has always been there, a joy to watch with its intriguing mix of artistry, brutality and strategy. I really enjoy NFL Sundays, although in recent years I have come to appreciate and enjoy the college game at least as much, if not more.

This is a great time of the year for football fans. Today is Thanksgiving Day, a holiday basically built around football and food. What else do you need?

We have three games on tap for today. Unfortunately, two of them involve the Detroit Lions and the Oakland Raiders. That doesn't sound promising, but the Giants are in Denver to play the Broncos tonight, and that could be interesting.

Enjoy.

bliepa@timesreview.com

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