My first gameboard
While at the convention, a gentleman told me that you all liked these stories. Don't know if mine is all that different. I was/am a Marine brat. We were stationed in Quantico, Va. so the first football game I saw was a Cowboys-Redskins tilt. The Cowboys won easily and watching "Bullet" Bob Hayes on a reverse was about as exciting thing I had ever seen in my nine years. I instantly became a Cowboys fan. So, when the Cowboys marched to the Super Bowl (V), I was crushed when Craig Morton threw that interception to Mike Curtis (Mad Dog!) and Jim O'Brien kicked the game-winning field goal with just a couple of seconds left. The Colts won, 16-13, but I was a Cowboys fan.
This was also the first time I really knew that Dad had an in with Santa. He let me sift through the Sears Catelog. Yup, there is was, the Cowboys-Colts Super Bowl. I told my Dad that's ALL I wanted. Apparently, it was too late because Santa had already finished his shopping. Then one day, I canno remember if it was before or after Christmas, my Dad loaded me up in his truck (those of you who met me at the Convention know what I mean), and we went to local Sears. By that time, we had moved to NJ. I was kinda shivering when my Dad stopped and I stayed in the truck.
I figured that Dad needed to do some things and kinda dragged me along. I didn't even see him coming. The back hatch opened and he handed me Super Bowl V. Yes I screamed (I was 10 then, but you know) and I cried. I could not believe that I was getting the gift I wanted most.
Dad left me in the back with the game. Although the trip home was only 5 minutes, that's all it took for me to open the box, grab the Cowboys (in blue) and a set of white numbers. I think the drive only took 30 seconds because that's how fast time passed.
My Dad opened the hatch, and had a look on his face, like, "WT Heck!" (PG version). He looked at what I had done and said to me, "you forgot to number Craig Morton." I kinda snarled and said, "Roger Staubach Dad, Roger Staubach."
EF was always a fun thing for me as a kid. Quite a few of us got into it and played against each other but I did not enjoy those games so much. I instead played LOTS of solitaire games. And when the motor died on my game, I began to "tap" games to play. My brother, out of the Army, used to sit up with me late at night and watch my games. I was like 18 then. I worked a night shift so the tap was good because I could muffle it enough not to wake up my parents.
About 10 years ago, I found that Miggle had replaced Tudor. While my collection was aleady filled with all teams - home & away - through the early 1980s, I was missing some teams.
So, at age 38, I ordered some teams, including another set of Cowboys. I had kept my game at the parents' house all those years. A couple of years back, my parents needed to move for health reasons. I let the old board go at a make-believe garage sale, but kept the teams. My parents needed some help so they gave me the loft in their home. I have a place near my work, as well.
After searching on the computer, I saw that Miggle no longer had an NFL license but found some teams on Ebay. And these teams had those stamped helmets! Like a little kid at Christmas, I began buying lots of teams and eventually re-built my collection. My Dad could not climb stairs so I took some pix and showed him on the computer. I told him it remained my favorite toy (hard to believe I'm not married! - sarcasm). Last year, my Dad and I talked about going to the HOF ceremony. I knew the MFCA convention was happening and I thought about it.
Unfortunately, my Dad's health worsened. After 3.5 months of home hospice care, he died in January. Knowing that Emmitt was going in and the MFCA Convention were at the same time, I almost immediately booked my trip.
My high school held its 30th Reunion the same weekend. I kindly explained, I had some unfinished business.
Thanks Wolf for helping me find this thread and that to the person who bumped it up!
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