Crazy, right? Like many of you I have lost sleep after late games - unable to sleep from anger, frustration, excitement, etc. It has been hard to watch the offense struggle. At times (though an unfortunate few) they looked like they had it figured out but would then regress to material ineptitude. Dropped passes, missed blocks, missed passes, missed reads, penalties at crucial times. Just painful. I started to wonder early on if I should stop buying season tickets. An unfortunate side to buying season tickets (especially living out of state) is that I can't help but view it as an investment. My investment was not providing me with my expected returns. Then Holy Toledo happened. Let me explain.

The arbitrary rule laid down at home has been that kids can go to BYU football games when they are 8 and older. My oldest daughter turned 8 before the season this year. We planned a family trip to Provo to watch a women's soccer game (both my 8 and 5 year old daughters play soccer) and attend the Toledo game with the 8 year old, my wife and other family. The soccer game was fun and we got to meet some players which made it special for the girls. I was looking forward to the main event.

We arrived early enough for the Cougar Walk. My daughter loved the drumline and was ear-to-ear smiles while high-fiving players. I entered the stadium early while my wife and daughter grabbed some food. Had a chance to speak to the grandfatherly gentlemen sitting next to us. I told him it was the first time bringing my daughter. He lit up - telling me about all his granddaughters then gave me a wink and said "we'll make sure she enjoys it."

Upon arriving, my daughter sat between me and the gentlemen. She leaned over and said, "Dad, I don't understand football." With some regret and shame, i told her we would learn on the fly. The game started and you all know the play - 75 yard bomb from Hill to Trinnaman. I was screaming, jumping up and down when I realized I had totally forgot my daughter was with me. I hesitantly look over expecting her to be in her seat trying to understand what had happened. Instead, she was jumping up and down, screaming as loud as anyone in the section. Well, that was it. Score after score - we jumped up and down, screamed, smiled, danced to the music, watched the ROC party, high-fived our newly adopted grandfather, sang the fight song (she almost had it down after that game) and learned about football. It was a great night. She was particularly delighted to be awake past midnight.

While driving home that weekend, I asked all the kids what their favorite part of the trip had been. The oldest jumped right in, "Dad, the football game was probably the best experience of my life." I floated home. The return I had just made on my investment was truly priceless. Yes, some of the games have been frustrating but BYU football is about so much more than the x's and o's. Season tickets are now a indefinite given in the COCoug household. GO COUGARS!