Football’s return brings excitement

Breathe a sigh of relief with me: Football is back.

For the past couple of weeks, I have been positively immersed in football. To be honest, it kind of feels like being able to breathe again. When football is in season, all is right with the world.

I have spent – with significant help from our sports writers Brannon King and Bart Moss and cooperation from school personnel – the past few weeks putting together our annual football magazine. This is a big job every year, trying to make sure we have the correct information on schedules and players for each Franklin County high school football team and associated groups.

I’m sure it’s not perfect – I can’t seem to attain perfection no matter how hard I try – but we put our all into this year’s magazine, and I hope it will bring smiles to a lot of faces.

My husband and I have been enjoying watching the NFL pre-season games as those teams prepare for their regular season. As a young person growing up in Tennessee, I never cared much about the NFL, even though we had the Titans to root for. But now that I’m old enough that men I have watched play college ball have continued on to the pros, I enjoy NFL games more each year.

Of course, the pinnacle for me, as it is for many of you, is college football. War Eagle! I’m a proud Auburn Tiger alum, and I’ll continue cheering the Tigers through thick and thin. It’s been pretty thin the past few seasons – or has it been thick? I’m not sure which of those is supposed to be bad – but there’s a lot of  excitement around new head coach Bryan Harsin, so hopefully us Tiger fans will see a winning season this year.

My husband and I will reunite with some college buddies on the Plains for the first game of the season against the Akron Zips, and we’re giddy for the opportunity. I haven’t been to a game since the 2014 season, so it’s about time we made it back to Jordan-Hare for a gameday.

Putting together the September/October Franklin Living has also kept me in a football frame of mind. Our Taste of Franklin columnist Amy Dolan McCollum and a few of her friends have put together a delicious spread of gameday recipes you definitely won’t want to miss; I know I can’t wait to make War Eagle Punch – and there’s a Roll Tide version for those of you who cheer for that other team. That magazine comes out next week, so don’t miss it.

Whether you’ve been thirsting for the Friday night lights, college Saturdays or the NFL – and maybe, like my husband, you’re deep into planning your Fantasy team – football is back, baby! Let’s soak it up.