You can imagine my great delight in finding out that the local cougar club chapter was sponsoring a free brunch with Bronco Mendenhall as the speaker before the 2005 season started. Not only that, the invitation encouraged people to bring kids. For the week leading up to the event I was priming Ethan to have one of those moments. The kind you always want to share with other people (translate people as my dad, a fellow BYU superfan) and have the pictures to prove it. Throughout the week, we had the following interchange.
Dad: Who is coming Saturday?
Ethan: Bronco MENDENHALL!!!
Dad: What are you going to say to him when you see him?
Ethan: I will say to him, 'Go BYU!'
Dad: Great, that is a good thing to say.
So the day finally arrives and I pack up the whole family into the car and head to a stake center near LAX. We arrive early and have to wait around for the Coach to arrive. Ethan decides that it is OK to run around in the meantime. I can see no reason to object since the affair was held in the gym.
Bronco arrived about 10 minutes after us. Suddenly, I lose my nerve. Am I just going scoop up Ethan, run up to Bronco, thrust my kid upon him and snap a picture? Should I try to strike up a conversation with him? What could I say? "Uh, Bronco, how do think we will do this year?" That seems too contrived. I keep trying to come up with ways of snapping a picture of Bronco and Ethan together and not look like an overzealous fan. After about 10 minutes of this type of thinking, I decide that I AM an overzealous fan and I might as well accept it. Besides, other people are lining up to see him, and I might lose my shot.
Ethan and I are about 3 people back in line and there are about 10 minutes remaining before he speaks. Unfortunately for us, the lady in front of me is the mother of a high school football player. She keeps asking what it would take for her son to play for the Cougars. I keep looking at my watch, seeing the minutes count down. It becomes clear to me that this lady is not going anywhere. I give up and console myself with this thought: "He'll be here afterwards."
Tom Holmoe, BYU athletic director, speaks first. Ordinarily, I would be interested, but Ethan is starting to squirm. He wants to run again. I tell him that Bronco is going to speak. He insists he doesn't want to sit. He slips away and starts running. Now, this is not one of those new carpeted gyms with the concrete floors, this is an OLD gym, with hardwood floors that echo loudly. People start looking our way. I chase Ethan and pick him up. "This guy is almost done," I tell him and he settles down. Tom winds up. I think I'm in the clear and we return to our seats.
Bronco gets up. I whisper, "Look Ethan, there's Bronco." Ethan could care less at this point. Bronco starts his slides. Ethans start to fuss. People start looking our way. I get the hint and stand up with Ethan, edging towards the door in back. Ethan continues to squirm and make whiny noises. I whisper in his ear, "If you keep making noise like this, we won't be able to listen to Bronco." Ethan responds at the top of his lungs so that all 50 people in attendance and the coach himself can hear. "I DON'T LIKE BRONCO MENDENHALL!" Sigh! I walk out the door, too embarassed to even consider returning afterwards for a photo.
Fast forward a few months to October. Erin and I got to represent our alumni chapter at the general Alumni Association meeting which takes place on BYU campus during Homecoming week. We met some people that looked vaguely familiar.
Erin: "You look familiar, but I can't place you."
Other couple (smiling): "Yeah, I think we've met before."
Erin thinks...
Erin: "Were you at the Bronco event in Los Angeles?"
Other couple: "Yes. Actually we helped organize it."
Erin: "That must be it. We went, too. Michael is a big BYU football fan. He brought us and our little boy."
Other couple: "Oh yeah, we remember you."
Michael turns red. Very red.
This actually brings me to the next part of the story. I learned two lessons from the Bronco experience. First, never get emotionally invested in a staged "moment" with a two-year-old. Second, never bring said two-year-old to BYU Alumni events.
For our meetings over Homecoming, we made sure that we always had a babysitter. This was complicated, but well worth it. We used Erin's brothers, sisters-in-law, a future sister-in-law, my old roommate, my old roommate's sister, even my brother-in-law's wife's brother's girlfriend (thanks, Genevieve). So Ethan was conveniently out of the way for most of the weekend. Convenient until I was enjoying the alumni dinner at the WILK ballroom, when who do I spot enjoying his meal? None other than LAVELL EDWARDS himself! For the football ignorant, Lavell IS BYU football, the person for whom the stadium was named, and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. This was indeed big. Lavell sat near the back of the ballroom and periodically people would go by his table to shake his hand. Again, I had that how-do-I-act-like-a-groupie-without-looking-like-a-groupie feeling, but I tell myself, "It's for my dad" and wander over to LaVell's table with my digital camera and Erin. I keep thinking that the shot would be so much better with Ethan in it. When I get near Lavell's table, I look down the hall. Lo and behold, I see my old roomate, Dean, bringing back my son from his babysitting shift. I can't believe my good fortune. I call Ethan and he comes running over. This leads to the following exchange:
Me: Hi, Coach Edwards. I just wanted to see if I could get a picture with you and my son. My father is big BYU football fan and if he had a picture of his grandson with you, it would mean a lot to him. OK, I couldn't admit that I really wanted it for myself, but what I said is also true.
Coach Edwards (in a friendly manner): Sure.
Erin (picking up Ethan) : Ethan, do you know who this is?
Ethan shakes his head no.
Erin: It's Coach Edwards. He used to be the BYU football coach.
At this point, Ethan suddenly leans over and gives Lavell a big hug and kisses him on the cheek. Lavell is taken by surprise and get this... HE SMILED. Yes, it was groupie Nirvana. I don't know if Lavell smiled after winning the national championship in '84. But there he was. Not only that... I got the picture to prove it.
3 comments:
It does mean a lot to me.
I have never met Coach Edward, much less, made him smile. I graduated before he became head coach. But I did date his niece. She was one of my good high school friends.
lol
I think it's hilarious he shouted "I don't like Bronco Mendenhal," especially since he spends the rest of his days looking at BYU sports mags. oh well.
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