Growing Up Mormon - A Cowboy's Fan

It's the end of August and football season starts this week.  Tonight I'm going to watch the Dallas Cowboys play against the Minnesota Vikings in the Minneapolis Metrodome with my friend, Mark.  He managed to obtain an available seat from among the block of season tickets he and his friends get every year.  It's great for me because the Cowboys have always been my team, but it's been years since I was able to see them live. 

Growing up on and around military installations I never had a home team to root for.  My grandparents lived in Idaho and North Dakota – no home teams there.  But I loved watching football because I loved playing football.  Unfortunately I wasn't any good at the sport, basketball and track were more to my talents.  I still loved football and I didn't have a team to root for . . . until . . .

We were on Guam – Anderson Air Base, and I was in elementary school, third or fourth grade.  We went to church all the time, at a branch building that had just been built right outside the base fence.  I wasn't allowed to watch any television except shows my father specifically approved.  I wasn't allowed to read any books that weren't assigned in school or obtained through the church.  I didn't really have any free time because as I said, I was always in school or church – we were undergoing a really heavy immersion of Mormon at that time.  The only exception to this (lack of) entertainment schedule was the USO sponsored shows.

The USO puts on all kinds of entertainment for military members and for their families all over the world – not just in war zones.  The shows were filled with music and comedy, some of the performers were well-known, but most of them were B-list talent – musicians, jugglers, comedians, magicians, etc.  I liked the shows because they were well done and because they had nothing to do with religion. 

While my father rarely went to any USO shows because he had church duties that couldn't be put off, he would allow me to go when I was invited.  This one instance I was invited and I went. 

There was dancing and singing and then there were the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.  This was before the Department of Defense and the USO put them as the main act on the tours (that happened in 1979).  They were secondary celebrities on the tour and they danced in the musical numbers and worked as foils for the comedian's near-raunchy jokes.  They were beautiful and their uniforms were dazzling.  What a thing for a young boy to witness.  I was in awe. 

Being a young boy I had to go to the bathroom during the show, so I left my seat and made my way down the aisle to the port-a-potties behind the bleachers.  When I'd finished and was making my way back two of those gorgeous cheerleaders were standing right in front of me – in my way.  My jaw dropped.

And they saw me, a little blond-haired kid in a button-up white shirt and slacks struck with the look of sheer awe on his face.  They couldn't resist.

Nearly speechless I answered their questions with nods and shrugs.

“Do you want a photo?” the beautiful brunette asked me. 

Yes, I nodded.  I'm sure my smile was larger than my face.  She extracted an 8x10 photograph of all the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders and signed it with a pen.  Then she handed it to the blond cheerleader who crouched down beside me and signed it as well.  Handing it to me she  pulled me to her and kissed me on the cheek. Then the brunette kissed me on the cheek as well.

“Are you a Cowboys fan?” the brunette asked me. 

What was I going to do, say no?  I squeaked out a feeble, “yes.” 

“Good!  You keep watching them and maybe you'll see us on television when you do.”  They both walked away, back to the show and I stood there for ten minutes staring at the photo and remembering that moment.  The signatures were Donna and Veronica.  I couldn't forget their soft voices and pretty smiles and the feeling of beautiful women kissing me, one on each cheek. 

I took that photo home after the show and hid it in my room.  I kept that autographed photo hidden for years, through many moves.  Sometimes I took it to church, folded inside my Book of Mormon.  I knew it was there and no one else did. 

And I started watching Cowboys games whenever I could which was mostly Monday night games and Thanksgiving Day because my dad wouldn't allow television on Sunday at all, no exceptions.  The Cowboys of that time had Roger Staubach at quarterback and brothers Preston and Drew Pearson as receivers.  Tony Dorsett was the running back, Ed “Too Tall” Jones and Randy White anchored a great defense.  They lost a couple of Superbowls against the Steelers and I learned to hate Pittsburgh.  They won a Superbowl against the Broncos and that was a special game because my dad was away for work and I got permission to stay over at a friend's house and they weren't as strict about Sunday television.  I got to watch my team win that game and I watched carefully to see if Donna or Veronica were on the sidelines.  I think they were, but it was hard to be sure since there is a “type” for Cowboy's Cheerleaders and several could have been them to my dazzled adolescent eyes. 

I never had a home team to root for, but I had the Cowboys and all my life people either loved them for being “America's Team” or hated them for it.  I loved them from that day in Guam to this day . . . and on this night I'm going to the game with my friend, Mark. 

Thanks, Mark. 

- rick, a proud fan.

Comments

[a rose is a rose]

i've forgiven you many things. this is it rick. the end. there is only ONE team i HATE MORE than that pats. that of course, is the cowboys (had to do with tom landry). my favorite team you ask? you guessed it, the STEELERS

p.s. i HATE football (really)

[mark]

well, there won't be any Cowboys CC's (CheerChicks)at the game tonight, you'll have to settle for the Vikes CC's. See ya tonight at Maxwell's and then on to the trouncing of my team by yours!

[Cherise]

Ha ha, how did I know you love affair with Cowboys began with the cheerleaders? :) Great story, Rick. Have fun tonight!

[Cele]

I am not so much a pro football fan. I use to be, but for me these days it's all about college football. Have a great game.

[Success Warrior]

I don't have a cool story for mine but also never had a home team. I ended up picking the Rams when Jack Youngblood was doing his Hall of Fame earning thang. I was a Rams fan when they went to the Superbowl in the late 70s. Who did they lose to? The Steelers. Bastards. My best friend at the time was a Steelers fan too.

I liked the Cowboys back then too but I immediately changed how I thought about them when I met Rick. It was my duty to hate his team.

[CV Rick]

Rose, I'd be happy to watch a Steelers-Cowboys game with you anytime . . . winner can gloat and loser can buy the beer. (I understand the hating football . . . I'll have a post about that soon).

Cherise, most of my life stories begin, or end, with lust. It's how I roll.

Cele, my love of the Cowboys is vastly overshadowed by my love of the Oklahoma Sooners - - - I might watch a couple of Cowboy games this year because I'll be busy, but I free up time for College Football. Why the Sooners? Well, I'll have to look at the couple of diplomas from OU to give you that answer.

SW - you've been true to your anti-Cowboys duties. I've never known you to say one good thing about them.

[Cele]

The Duck fan in me is running in fear.

[Tim Mulcahy]

Okay, I need to weigh in here. What is it about football. People either love it or hate it. I'm indifferent to it. I tried watching it a couple of times and got bored out of my skull. The cheerleaders... well that's another story.

Now, as to this religion of yours. It sounds more like a mass mental illness built around indoctrination and abuse. Frankly, it's totally fucked. I'd vote Laminite.

[mark]

well, hope you had a good time last night Rick, just make sure to get me some cards for those guys.