Please Let Them Be Bruins!

This is football rivalry week.

UCLA versus USC.

Bruins versus Trojans.

The battle for Los Angeles.

Good versus Evil.

The fate of the universe hangs in the balance.

And although I swore before they were born that I would not get my children involved with my obsession for all things UCLA, what can I say?

I lied.

I've been walking around the house all week humming the UCLA Fight Song to the girls. (Click here to have a listen)

When I talk to the girls this week, I talk to them about the game -- How will my Bruins slow down Reggie Bush? Can our offense really score against the defending National Champions?

Of course, I'm not the only parent to channel my sports obsession through my babies (See "Twin Invasion").

And believe it or not, the girls have actually tempered my obsession a bit, just like other parents (See, "Savage Stories"). This was the first time since I've been a Bruin that I did not fly down to Los Angeles to watch UCLA play live at the Rose Bowl.

I didn't go to ANY college football games live, for that matter (the girls were born right at the start of the season!) And when I watch the games on T.V., I don't yell *quite* as loud as I used to when there is a bad play! :-)

But still, I can't help but feel a twinge of guilt when I dress my girls in their UCLA outfits, then place them in their crib under their UCLA mobile that plays the UCLA Fight Song, as they lay next to their UCLA Bruin Teddy Bear.

Terri offered this sobering thought: "You know, what if they decide to go to USC for college?"

I thought about that for a minute before I replied.

"I refuse to believe that I will fail that badly in my performance as a parent!"

Go Bruins! Beat 'SC!

The Final Result of a Father's Obsession. GO BRUINS!
(click on photo for larger view)