Your I'm Getting Older Moment

When you wake up from the kaleidoscopic whirl of a hangover, turn on the tube and see games you either attended or covered as part of NFL Films' "Greatest Games" package on ESPN2.

 

A friend told me his child was doing a powerpoint project for his class.

I asked him what grade his kid was in. Expecting to hear at least 8th, or even 6th.

He told me 2nd. ....

And I'm under 30!

 

I have a new friend who is 28 (10 years younger than me). In pretty much every one of our conversations, there's a moment where one of us makes a reference the other one doesn't get (usually it's her not getting mine). She still has trouble believing me when I say that I went to college with a typewriter, not a computer. Sometimes I feel very old around her, until we order drinks and I get carded. (I look young for my age, but not that young.)

 

I was talking to a coach at baseball practice for one of our high schools last year, and he had brought one of his old players back to throw a live scrimmage. The pitcher was one of the best the school has ever had, and he was a sophomore when I started working at my paper. The coach and I start talking about him, and how good he was, and none of the current players had any clue who the guy was. He's only been out of high school maybe three or four years. Made me feel like a freakin' fossil, even though I'm only 30.

 

When I go to college towns -- good college towns -- to cover games and I have no interest in checking out campus-type bars. Unless I'm with a big group, I don't like it. I feel like a dirty old man.

 

I got sent out to an area game at a little high school (about 110 students) when the football team I normally cover had it's open date this season. After the game ends, I go into the home team locker room to get a quick comment from the coach and a player or two.

Coach looks across the room and shouts out, "Smith, Jones, get over here."

The two kids look up like they're afraid they may be in trouble. I yell, "C'mere, Meat. It's time to work on your cliches."

Neither kid had a fucking clue as to what I was talking about.