I had to laugh when I read Debra Goldstein’s post yesterday about
football being “only a game”.  I live in
Washington State, which, in case you’re living in a hole, is home of the
Seahawks, contenders the upcoming football high-holy day – the Super Bowl.  Although, even when living in a hole, I’m
fairly certain that you probably felt the Beast Quake or possibly Richard
Sherman dropped by to tell you how awesome he is, and then probably stuck
around to make pointedly blunt statements about the corruption in the NFL.  Football may be only game, but tis the season
for every football fan everywhere to lose their dang minds.

As I’m only an occasional football watcher I find most of
the fan-actions a bit mystifying.  Twelfth
man flags decorate every building, a local tattoo parlor is offering a 12’s
tattoo special and last game against the Packers the Seattle City Council
banned cheese from the premises.  Like
Debra, I say, “But it’s only a game!”  Not
that I say that very loudly – my husband would glare at me. 

But also like Debra, I identify with the way fans pour over
every detail, dissect plays, and watch every report on the subject.  A fan, no matter the subject, wants to know
all about the thing they love.  So I don’t
wave a twelfth man flag, but the books on my shelf tell their own tales (pun
intended).  Anyone visiting my house knows
where I stand on the topic of Lord of the Rings (pro) and the work of cover
artist Thomas Canty (also pro) and Tintin (highly pro). I don’t have any
tattoos, but I can quote The Walrus and The Carpenter – it’s tattooed on my
brain.  And as for cheese… no, sorry, I
have nothing there. Cheese is never banned at my house and neither are
books. 

Am I the only “12^th Man” uber book fan out
there?  What “flags” are flying on your
bookshelf?