Recently, at a yard sale, I found a signed 75th Anniversary Heath Shuler jersey and bought it. For about 2 months, it hung in my living room as I decided what to do with it. Do I hang it on the wall or bury it in a closet? I consulted my legion of Redskins fan Twitter followers and got responses like, "BURN IT!"..."Bury it in hollowed ground"...."Dude! Don't have it near your TV!" Was just having the jersey with mixed feeling bad Ju Ju? One Twitter follower defended Shuler..."He came out too early". He went on to explain how he went to school with him and reminded me of Shuler's political career after football. I held on to the jersey for a bit longer. By now, it was time for Training Camp in Richmond, VA. I thought about that Twitter exchange and how it affected my opinion of Heath Shuler. Still, I just did not cherish the jersey...and besides, it kind of felt like bad Ju Ju to hold on to it. I decided that to turn this Ju Ju around, the jersey needed to be with someone who would cherish it...hang it on the wall and harness it for positive energy. Corny, right? In most parts of my life, I am not superstitious...but with football, there is this energy...this bond formed with rooting for YOUR team. Everything has to be perfect...the food....the drinks (in Redskins cups)....the jersey on....the hat perfectly centered...TV turned way up!. The Shuler jersey needed to be part of that kind of energy. I sent a Tweet to that follower....and with a few tweets explained that I wanted him to have it. He mentioned traveling to training camp. On the first Saturday of Training Camp in Richmond, I met him and delivered the Heath Shuler jersey to him. For me, it was a proud moment...like putting the last puzzle piece in a long puzzle. After all this jersey's travels....despite all of the people who would have never treasured it....surviving the fans that would have done it harm or destroyed it...it found it's way home to Redskins fan from Tennessee...back to be hung on the wall in a man cave dedicated to the Tennessee Vols and the Washington Redskins. I sent the jersey home. I turned potential bad Ju Ju into good Ju Ju.
THAT is how you start a season.
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