"My Very First Football Game" - by Jackson S.

[PurpleArmy]

Hello Massillon Proud. My name is Jack, and I'm the son of two posters that used to be on here all the time, Jwest and Polar Bear.

Anyways, tonight I went to my very first football game ever! I got to go watch the Massillon Tigers and the Middletown Middies play in Tigertown, USA at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium.

So.....first off, on our way down there, I told Dad to hook me up with some cool Tiger gear. Because you know, there's nothing worse than looking out of place at a Massillon game. If you're not wearing something orange, they turn on you pretty quickly.

So our first stop was to Howard's Tigers Rags, which is on "The Beast of Streets" (as Dad's pal Keno would say). After some deliberation by Mom, they got me a cool Massillon Tiger shirt, a hat that I didn't want to wear, (but Mom made me....) and a my-sized orange football. I think I made out pretty good.

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Then, we headed off to the stadium. But not before stopping by a Massillon tradition- TAILGATING!- to meet some people and get yet another picture (Mom + camera= ANNOYING!).

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[PurpleArmy]

Finally, it was game time. Woo-hoo! I think I like football, but I'll have to go to a few more games before I'm sure. However, I did like the pieces of pretzel and hot dog bun that Dad fed me during the first quarter. Anything that combines sitting on Dad's lap and food is GOOD!

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Here's me, taking a nap break during the 2nd quarter. I tried to stay awake, but after the pretzel and hot dog bun foodfest that was the 1st quarter, I just couldn't make it. So I told Dad to wake me up for the halftime show, and then I caught some Zzzzzzzzz's.

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[PurpleArmy]

In the 3rd quarter, mom and Dad took me to meet Obie. We had to wait a few minutes at first, as Obie was becoming dehydrated out there in that heat tonight, but once he was all better, he came over to say hello to me. I was a little bit scared at first, but I decided I would go ahead and say hello.

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After Obie picked me up and was holding me, I realized that, for a tiger, Obie's pretty laid back. In fact, so laid back, that I thought, "Hey! Why not yank on one of his teeth, just to see what happens?" Because really, if YOU had the chance, wouldn't you like to grab a tiger by his tooth? It's something I'll bet a lot of people haven't ever done. But I have. :D

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[PurpleArmy]

After I met Obie and yanked his tooth, Dad wanted to take me outside of the stadium to see the statue of legendary Tiger coach Paul Brown. Dad was trying to tell me the whole entire history of Massillon football while we were out there, but I wanted to meet more tigers. I'm all about yanking their teeth now! Fun!

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After the visit to the statue, which I was frankly bored with, because hey- it doesn't move or do anything- Mom and Dad took me to meet another tiger. This one was also named Obie, but he was MY size Obie! Since he and I are both babies, I figured that we'd get along pretty well. Or at least that I could take him if he got snippy with me. Here's a pic of me sizing him up. (I was trying to figure out if I would be able to yank one of his teeth, but they looked pretty tiny, and my grasp isn't fully developed yet, so I opted to skip that part.)

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[PurpleArmy]

However, he decided to stick his little nose up by my hand so I poked his nose just to see what he would do. He was pretty cool and just left his nose sit there after I poked it, which is when I decided that I like tigers. You know, because they let you do stuff to them and don't maul you or anything.

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All in all, I had a pretty fun night. Between the new duds, the pretzels and buns and getting to meet not one, but TWO tigers named Obie and yanking one's tooth and poking the other one in the nose, it was an exciting night! I think I may like football after all.

Thanks, people of Massillon, for showing a little guy such a fun time! Go Tigers!

[obiefan]

I HAVE TO ADMIT.... That was a really good series of posts!

Thanks PB, JW and Young - un....

:)

[tiger4life]

very cute pictures!

[TigerVic]

This young man shows more maturity than many MP posters- some of whom are twice his age!

[DAWGH8R]

Nice job !! Glad Jack had a GREAT time !!

[tiger51]

That is what it is all about....Great posts...

[Philpott]

You are never too young or old to become a tiger.

[PurpleArmy]

Thanks, you guys. I'm glad you liked the thread. I at first had wanted his first game to be a Jackson one, but then we talked about it and decided that with all of Jack's family history at Massillon, his very first football game should be a Massillon game.

Jack had a great time, and I also wanted to say thank you to your band director and his wife for being so gracious and for getting us the pictures of Jack with the band Obie. Also, thanks to the band Obie for accommodating us. I know how hot she had to be in that tiger suit, but she was so sweet and a lot of fun, and held Jack and talked to him while the band director took pictures.

Also, thanks to the guy who is baby Obie's (the real tiger) handler. He let us bring Jack onto the track section of the stadium where his cage was in order to be able to get good photos and he also let Jack touch Obie's nose and paw, which let us get the great pictures w e did.

Also thank you to the guy from Howard's Tiger Rags for taking the pics of us with Jack in his store. Jack's been playing with his little orange football all morning this morning, and he looked so cute in his Massillon T-Shirt. I think we'll buy him a little jersey there next with his uncle Gordy Appleby's number!

Great game, great people, great fun! Thanks again, Massillon, for showing our son a super time. I guess that's why it's called "The Greatest Show In High School Football". :TIG2:

[MassillonMom]

Cutest pictures ever! Your son is simply adorable!

Love the ones with the real Obie. You need to frame those!

[PurpleArmy]

Cutest pictures ever! Your son is simply adorable!

Love the ones with the real Obie. You need to frame those!

Thanks very much, MassillonMom. The real Obie was SO cute! And he was really playful. He was laying on his back when we first came up to his pen, but as soon as he saw Jack, he rolled over and came over to see what was up. Jack giggled and giggled when he touched Obie's nose. I think he had a great time.

We were thinking maybe of getting his picture with Obie at the beginning of every season. And then putting each pic in a frame on a section of one of the walls at home- just to show how much he grows every year. I thought it would be cooler than similar pics on Santa's lap- and much more appropriate, since we both love high school football as much as we do, and since my husband and I met each other through this site.

Actually- now that I think of it- Jack wouldn't even exist if not for MP.com! Thanks, obiefan! :gotigers:

[TigerLily]

Been kind of on and off the computer this week and I guess I missed these earlier -- just got to see them.

What a cute little guy!! Looks like he had a really good time at his first (of many) Tiger game.

Lot’s of great pictures to treasure in years to come.

(Loved that one of him sleeping -- I came, I saw, I cheered, Tigers won, night-night….)

[PurpleArmy]

(Loved that one of him sleeping -- I came, I saw, I cheered, Tigers won, night-night….)
Cute analysis....and a pretty accurate one at that. :wink:

[MikeyMadi]

Your son is SO CUTE!! Thank you so much for sharing with us, what a good lookin' family!!!

~Madison~

[Ms V]

Those were the cutest pictures I've seen and the little guy is adorable.

What a way to break him into the Tiger tradition. We'll be looking for him on the field in a few years.

Thanks for sharing the moments.