How College Football Saved My Sanity

Author's note: Some details of this story have been omitted to protect the privacy of those involved. Sport is a poor substitute for people. Our favorite athletes and teams simply can not offer the same kind of emotional attachment and support that our friends and family can. Don Vito Corleone would look down on any man who didn't put family first and that's a sentiment that I share. Perhaps I'm getting ahead of myself a little bit. There's a story behind these feelings. There's also a reason why I'm writing about it now, the day before the annual football contest between Michigan State and Michigan. Last football season, I had the distinct pleasure of playing baritone in the Michigan State University Spartan Marching Band . I'd given serious thought to joining the finest collegiate marching band in the nation before, but I didn't make the leap until my fourth year in college. The SMB is rich in both quality and tradition. The band grew out of the military ensemble tradition in the late ... (link)