Fair Harvard

Last weekend my brother came up for a day and we went to the Harvard Princeton game. Harvard shellacked Princeton who seemed to have only one offensive play that could work. The day threatened rain and in the beginning of the third quarter we had to put on ponchos for a few minutes to stay dry. I once took my father to a Harvard game in the rain and he insists, to this day, that sitting watching that game was the most foolish thing he has ever done. Nevertheless, Bobby and I watched the Princeton game last week and we were hardly alone. In fact, there was a reunion of some sort. The class of 79 at Harvard was reuniting. We are not alums of fair Harvard and graduated well before 1979 but were so impressed by the spread of barbecue laid out for the alums that we, sans badges, indulged lest some of the good food for the class of 1979 go to waste.

Today I went to Harvard alone to watch Harvard pummel Dartmouth. Harvard stadium is beautiful, a truly great place to watch a football game (as long as you bring a cushion--the seats are cement). Today I sat near the top of the stadium near the 40 yard line and was surrounded by alums with a fervid interest in the team. It was a joy to listen to them discuss the game knowledgeably. A fellow to my right kept commenting about the plays and provided insights I had never considered. Occasionally, he would tap me on the shoulder and say something like, "not smart to call a time out" "do you think they will take it off tackle here." In front of me a fellow with a cap reading class of 1959 turned and smiled each time Harvard pulled off a successful play. To my left a septuagenarian explained patiently to either his wife or his partner (I'm guessing the latter given the patience they both had for each other) the nuances of the game, like a seventeen year old explaining football to his teenage sweetheart.

Fans everywhere rooting for fair Harvard.