Budding Fandom

Way back in August. Tiernan hit a tremendous milestone for a young boy. He went to his first NFL game. I have New York Giants season tickets with my father, thanks to his brilliant forethough 30-some years ago. In 1975, my father put his name on the New York Football Giants season ticket list, 27 years later, we were asked to join one of the most exclusive clubs in the country. The Giants asked him if wanted two season tickets...
For the last four years, my father and I have been going to Giants games. When Grandpa comes over to pick me up, he is resplendant in his blue Giants jersey and Tiernan sees Grandpa and his Daddy all decked out in our Giants Jersey and he knows that we are going to the game. And he has a five minute mini-meltdown that he too wants to go to the game. I explain to him that he can't, since there are only two tickets. This does not quell his disapointment.
But this year, he got his chance. I took him to the Giants/Jets pre-season game. He too looked resplendent in his No. 10 Eli Manning jersey. It was a night game, and Tiernan was excited. He was going to be able to stay up past his bed time. I didn't think he was going to make it past the end of the first quarter. I had visions of carrying him back to the car. It would have been a long walk.
He was even more excited when we got to the staduim and had a take a bus from the parking lot to the stadium He loves bus rides.
It was the third pre-season game, which means that almost no starters were playing. So we could leave whenever it got to be too much for Tiernan. He was excited to see the Giants and the Jets. He doesn't really understand football. He's three. Hockey keeps his interest much better, because there are no stoppages. In football there are a lot of times when nothing is happening on the field. Unlike hockey, where there is constant action.
On the first play from scrimage the Jets scored on a long pass and run. An inauspicious start for my sons budding Giants fandom. But the game didn't really matter to Tiernan. There was a helicopter. A NJ State Police helicopter circling the stadium all night. This is something that happens every game, since 9/11. The helicoprter just flies around the stadium almost all game. And Tiernan pointed out every time he saw it. "Look Dad, a helicopter." "What is that helicopter doin', Dad?"
I explained that it was the police looking for bad guys.
"They are looking for bad guys? At a Giants game? That's cool," he says.
"Dad, look a helicopter."
We left at halftime. It was getting late and the boy started to show signs of falling asleep. "What was your favorite part of the football game, Tiernan?"
"There was a helicopter. That flew around and around looking for bad guys, and the Jets scored a touchdown."