Father’s day at long last and equal time for nourishing mothers
Regular readers of A Free Man may know that one of my life long quests, much like Superman, is fighting for justice and pointing out inequity when it crosses my path. For example, the fact that Dr. O’C has celebrated two Mother’s Days in her first year as a Mother and I have had no Father’s Days. Zero. This is due to the byzantine wanderings of our family,different holiday calendars and the universal plot to screw me. Well, dear readers, that’s all going to change on Sunday because it is Father’s Day in Australia. And I am in Australia. And I am a Father. So, time to pony up, Baby Z. A matching “World’s Best Dad” coffee mug and T-shirt are always a nice gift. Or maybe some Georgia Bulldogs gear…
Odd time of year for Father’s Day as I will be spending at least the first part of the day waking up ridiculously early to listen to American football games on the internet. As week 2 of the NCAA football season kicks off, I feel like I need to rectify something. As a couple of my grad school friends never fail to point out, I have a tendency - in my undying loyalty to my undergraduate alma mater - to forget about the institution that gave me my Ph.D. and thus current career, the University of Missouri. I’ve written about why my devotion is focused on the Dawgs, but with Mizzou starting the season in the Top 10 as well and with a win over No. 20 Illinois last week, I really should share the love a bit for the school that added the Dr. to my name and several thousand dollars to my annual earning potential (not to mention provided me with a mate). So from this week on, I will give the trials and tribulations of the Missouri Tigers at least a little bit of time every week. Roughly equal time for almae matres (nourishing mothers). As for showing support, I’ll make the same deal I did for Georgia gear: send us some Z sized Mizzou gear and we’ll reciprocate with some Antipodean styles for your little Tiger.
Both the Dawgs and the Tigers are going to have it pretty easy this weekend. Despite an easy win over Southern last week, Georgia dropped to the two spot in most polls. This is actually a good thing as it’s number 1 that everyone guns for, so let them go after the Trojans rather than my boys. Takes the pressure off for a tough season. A bigger loss than the ranking was the loss of starting D tackle Jeff Owens, who is out for the season with a “freak” knee injury. First Sturdivant, now Owens - we can’t keep losing the big guys and win a championship.
We’ll be OK without them for this week as Georgia welcomes the Central Michigan Chippewas into Sanford Stadium on Saturday.The Chippewas are back-to-back MAC champs and are thought to have a good chance of winning that conference again this year. They’ve also got a dark horse Heisman candidate in QB Dan LeFevour. (As an aside, I thought all NCAA teams were supposed to jettison their Native American nicknames. What’s up with the Chippewas? Is Central Michigan racist or something? All the more reason to beat them up on the gridiron.) At any rate, we all saw what the Dawgs can do to teams from upstart conferences with hot shot quarterbacks. This game should be largely the same. I think Central Michigan will hang with the Dawgs for a bit and may put some points on the board, but Georgia brings it home in a rout: Georgia 45, Central Michigan 24.
Mizzou’s win over the Illini (Another racist team?) last Saturday was kind of a bittersweet one. The Tigers’ offense was spectacular, putting 52 points on Illionois. But they had to do so because the D gave up 42. With a defense this porous, Mizzou’s time in the Top 10 is likely to be pretty short-lived. The good news is that they’ve got a patsy to work with this week in Southeast Missouri. The Redhawks of Cape Girardeau, Missouri represent the Div I-AA Ohio Valley Conference and are riding up the road to Columbia to collect a check. No real contest here, just the question of how many points Tigers’ Coach Gary Pinkel piles on - Mizzou 55, SEMO 20.
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Your Number 2 Georgia Bulldogs host the racist Central Michigan Chippewas for a 3:30 p.m. Eastern (5:00 a.m. Sunday in Adelaide) kickoff. The game’s available on internet radio or ESPN’s Gameplan.
And the hapless Southeast Missouri State Redhawks have a date for a thrashing with Your Number 6 Missouri Tigers in Columbia at 7:00p.m. Eastern (8:30 a.m. Sunday in Adelaide). No options for international fans I’m afraid.
Hurray, hurrah! Mizzou! Mizzou!
Sic ‘em Dawgs!
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Green Day’s “Warning” is available from 
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Happy Father’s Day, man! Glad you finally get to have one! Make sure Dr. O’C and Z make it worth your while!!!
Not Afraid To Use Its last blog post..Backseat Questions
05 Sep 2008 at 12:52 pm
My brother is a Central Michigan grad. I’ll run that racism thing by him. Happy Father’s Day!
Nicholes last blog post..Sooner than expected
05 Sep 2008 at 1:48 pm
happy fathers day. PS I thought you were going to go onto a post about fathers day thoughts but instead you gave me “football”- “Both the Dawgs and the Tigers are going to have it pretty easy this weekend. Despite an easy win over Southern last ….ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ”
more pics of Z as an american footy star, can you put the black stripes on his face?
05 Sep 2008 at 5:22 pm
I hate to be the killjoy of your ‘woe is me’ story, but you insisted on a fathers day present when I was pregnant! So whilst this should be your first fathers day, it is actually your second, so we are even stevens:)
05 Sep 2008 at 6:50 pm
Uh, that wasn’t a Father’s Day present. As I remember since I wasn’t a father yet I didn’t get a Father’s Day present. Get your facts straight, Dr. O’C. You sound like a Republican.
05 Sep 2008 at 6:57 pm
happy fathers day……tell sis to send me her work address so i can send zachs birthday present
05 Sep 2008 at 7:43 pm
5am!?!?!? On a weekend?!?! Blasphemy!
Happy Father’s Day. Dr. O’C should cook a goose for you, with all the fixins.
Joes last blog post..Nothing personal, pal. It’s just business
05 Sep 2008 at 8:21 pm
Aish - am I your sister’s keeper? Actually that’s what I think we should use this blog for, family communication. I’m only talking to Dr. O’C through the blog from now on.
Joe - Dr. O’C couldn’t cook a goose if she was starving to death. She does bake some mean cheese scones though, and oatmeal raisin cookies, and sticky toffee pudding.
05 Sep 2008 at 8:30 pm
I could cook a goose…it just might not be that edible. Oh and the oatmeal raisin cookies zach and I were going to bake you for the oh so important fathers day, uh, not gonna happen now!
05 Sep 2008 at 8:35 pm
I am going to continue to ignore your football posts until you write about the LSU Tigers.
I had hoped when I saw the word “Tigers” but alas…Geaux Tigers!
I need a recipe for sticky toffee pud. I love that stuff.
05 Sep 2008 at 8:50 pm
do you want me to click on your ad links? will it make you money?
haha cant believe you made DrOC have a ‘gonny be a father’day’ did you cook him cookies then? so Z and the OC were gonny cook, can we have viddeo please??/
PS u love my tyypos font cha?
05 Sep 2008 at 8:52 pm
Happy Father’s Day! Good luck on the oatmeal cookies… sounds like you smart-assed yourself right out of them. har har.
Speaking of cookies, does your ad thingy read folks’ cookies? Cause right now they’re showing the exact clone trooper outfit we are ordering Grayson for Halloween. If they don’t know it’s me, that’s some coincidence.
05 Sep 2008 at 11:43 pm
Go tigers!!! RAWR!
05 Sep 2008 at 11:55 pm
The Tigers D looked porous last year against Illinois and ended up a strength…I’d expect the same this year. Maclin needs to get healthy though.
06 Sep 2008 at 12:05 am
You should request double the presents for Father’s Day. Oh, and if Dr. O’C does cook a goose, make sure it’s one of those geese who terrorize you on the way to work. Just in case they’ve forgotten who’s boss.
Are you sure you don’t want some Ga. Tech stuff for Father’s Day? Because I’ll send some to you. For Z, too. Really.
courtneys last blog post..It’s September And I’ll Cry If I Want To
06 Sep 2008 at 12:44 am
FYI, The Illini mascot (a native american, Chief Illiniwek, that performs war dances at half time) and the Illini symbol has been banned from NCAA. What do you mean they’re not culturally sensitive? Seriously though, the NCAA called it “hostile and abusive.” I don’t know about that. Seems like the NCAA was being a bit mean.
The “Illini” name can stay because it is derived from the name of the State. I guess the NCAA felt that if the name “Illini” was racist, they would also be saying that half of the states in the U.S. use a racist name.
Happy Fathers Day.
06 Sep 2008 at 1:29 am
Happy Fathers Day! May the day bring you as many hankies, socks and jocks as your little heart desires!
Agness last blog post..Something old, something new
06 Sep 2008 at 8:00 am
Speaking of racist mascots, does anyone know if Chief Noc-A-Homa still lives out in left field at Turner?
06 Sep 2008 at 9:41 am
Interestingly there have been no cries od racism as the New Zealand All Blacks perform their Maori ‘haka’ before each match. Perhaps no-one’s game?
Happy Father’s Day mate! Long may you father. Oooer.
arizaphales last blog post..Alles Ist Besser Als Mathe
06 Sep 2008 at 10:59 am
I’m pretty sure that Noc-A-Homa was let go from the Braves quite a while ago, around the same time that political correctness set in and St. John’s University’s mascot was changed from the Redmen to the Red Storm. I’m surprised that the Cleavland Indians mascot Chief Wahoo is still around, although its just on the uniforms and such of the players.
06 Sep 2008 at 11:54 am
Happy Father’s Day! But don’t call Dr. O’C a Republican. She’ll spit in your Marmite.
Toastys last blog post..A Little Behind
06 Sep 2008 at 11:52 pm
Good to hear you’ll be mentioning Mizzou more. I’m here in the press box right now waiting for the game to begin. SEMO isn’t going to be much competition, but hopefully the Tigers have some good plays to keep it interesting.
Brittanys last blog post..One Last Exploration
07 Sep 2008 at 7:57 am
[…] plot to screw me. Well, dear readers, that??s all going to change on Sunday because it is Fatherhttp://www.afreeman.org/2008/09/05/fathers-day-at-long-last-and-equal-time-for-nourishing-mothers/Missouri Tigers College Football News at CBSSports.comComplete missouri tigers NCAA football […]
07 Sep 2008 at 11:08 am
Happy Father’s Day!!
I went to a graduate school without a football team, so I get to stay true to my ‘Noles no matter what. Even when they suck. Dammit.
09 Sep 2008 at 1:56 am
Ariza - I don’t think anyone cares enough about New Zealand to be bothered by their clear racism.
Jason - Where do you think the Chief found work after getting sacked by the Braves?
Toasty - don’t accuse Dr. O’C of being a Marmite eater or she’ll spit in your Kraft Dinner. Vegemite in Oz.
Brittany - press box sounds a good place to watch the game.
Gypsy - my Dad gave Z an FSU tank top with matching shorts that I’m pretty sure we’re going to have to dress him in at some point, so look out for that. I spent three semesters there before dropping out, so as Florida teams go, I cheer for the (also racist) Seminoles.
09 Sep 2008 at 4:16 pm
Well, crap. I’m always a day late. But since it’s now Tuesday afternoon here on the east coast of the USofA, that freaky international date line time warp has you smack firmly in Wednesday and two days past your father’s day celebration.
So, two days later…
HAPPY DOWN-UNDA FATHER’S DAY!
He-hem.
And I’m still looking out for Dawgs gear for the little man. I totally think you should get one of those “House Divided” license plates with half-Georgia/half-Missouri. That would rock.
Coal Miner’s Granddaughters last blog post..Fruit Juice Breaks Me Out
10 Sep 2008 at 4:08 am
[…] the interest of equal time for nourishing mothers, Missouri has another easy one as they host the Nevada Wolfpack on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern […]
12 Sep 2008 at 10:19 am