Officially Fall

N0902CU_JL09.JPG, originally uploaded by ©JL.

It's Labor Day weekend and there's pigs flying. Well sort of, pigskin anyway.

And with that is the Rocky Mountain Showdown. The game between Colorado's largest universities is a culmination of drug-out hype, trash-talking, good fun, bad fun and a little football. The University of Colorado pulled out a victory in overtime to quiet the sea of green and gold, but that didn't stop either side from being absolutely rude at times in the parking lot and inside the stadium.

I have never really understood the obsession of a football rivalry, even though I take part in aspects of the craziness. There are rivalries in high school, junior high, college and even pro sports. Seems that everyone wants to be able to have satisfaction in the sense of self-worth knowing that their team is better than whoever down the way. I'm all about good fun in the competition of "my team is better than yours!" But when people turn to all out physical aggression it gets a little ridiculous. A photographer from another paper was in the parking lot before the game and was basically threatened and then had the luxury of getting yuked on by some underage drunk undergrad. An excellent way to show school spirit. Luckily I was in the lots earlier, before the hard liquor kicked in. The tailgaters were just playing some drinking games and chasing footballs around the blacktop. True fun in the spirit of school and fall.

The game, as it has been the last few years, was a tightly contested match that came down to two plays at the end of the game. Having only shot a few practices, where players move at half speed, I was a little out of the groove for many points in the game. I need practice just like the players do I guess. I'm sure shooting high school football in the darkness of Friday Night Lights will help for those gloriously bright and contrasty Saturday afternoons.

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