I will admit

Lets face it, sport fans are real! You cannot deny  that while following your favorite team. It can sometimes keep you up until 12:30 AM.

I am a Baltimore Orioles fan and have been since the late 60's. I was the kid who kept score of the games at night, in my bunk bed with a flashlight. Yes, in a legit baseball score book. I was a Brooks Robinson fan and loved the way he played third base. My wife Anne, says that I have brainwashed my sons to be O's fans too.  Well, maybe a little.

But the truth of the matter is this, Isaiah has never seen the Orioles in a playoff game his entire life and Josh was too young to remember the 97 Birds. So this week, my routine has shifted a little at home, because the O'mazing Birds are playing October baseball. And to make it even better they are pitted against their rival the New York Yankees. 

So I dusted off my Oriole gear that flew south 15 years ago. I now have flashback memories of Cal Ripken, Jim Palmer, and Paul Blair. My eyes are bleary from the late nights and my boys are for the first time seeing the Birds in a playoff game. I will admit is has been fun. It has been a hoot for this lifelong Fan.

I am now connecting with childhood friends that I have not heard from in 15 years. The Birds are flying high and the fans, well... are savoring every moment. Sports is a great common ground and bridges friendships. But, it also lets me pull away from the regular highway of life and shout from my family room when JJ Hardy hits a deep double in the 13th inning to knock in the winning run. 

So this morning on my way to the office, I hopped on my Harley with my Number 8 Orioles Jersey. Even if they don't win this evening it has been a great week cheering the Mighty Orioles on! 

But, if they do, they will face the Detroit Tigers, and my wife is a city girl from Troy Michigan, a suburb of Detroit.  It could get interesting in our house, Lions and Tigers and Birds. I'm hoping for some Uh-O's moments if that happens for my Wife!