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Director's Notes – Episode 134 – Fall Football Preview
🕑 Added 2018-09-15 19:00:02 +0000 UTC (NOTE: As always, Director's Notes contain spoilers)If you grew up a football fan in Texas, you probably remember Dave Campbell's Texas Football guides. Late summer each year these magazines hit the stands with writeups and stats on just about every football program in the state from high schools to college and some pro coverage as well.
I went to Texas A&M in the mid 1990s, so I wanted to know about the Aggies' newest defensive freshmen and whether or not they would ever get a good quarterback. (Arrested Development V.O.: "They wouldn't.")
It's odd to think about the obsession over college and high school football. Grown adults all-consumed in the sporting abilities of 18-year-olds. The idea that a select group of teenagers - who have real lives beyond their ability to throw, catch, run, or tackle - would determine the immediate fates of multi-million dollar university athletic departments.
And don't get me started on whether these kids they should be paid (V.O.: "They should.")
While big-market amateur football fandom is odd when closely examined, Night Vale football fandom is fun. What if a player has two heads and special powers of telekinesis? Or if the quarterback is probably a 5-foot-4-inch tall spider?
What I'm getting at is I need someone at EA Sports to get in contact with us about developing a Night Vale Expansion Pack for the Madden NFL video game series. I think I'd like to see Tom Brady throw a TD pass over a defensive line made up entirely of super-complimentary trees. ("Your complexion is flawless, Tom. Are you avoiding nightshades?")
Or watch that vaunted Philadelphia defense try to tackle one of the intangible ghosts from Pine Cliff.
Many fans have asked if there could ever be a Night Vale video game, and that would be cool, but this... THIS is what I want right here. I don't get a lot of sports love in the Night Vale world. The Venn diagram of the Night Vale fans and football fans looks like this:
O O
Anyway, please enjoy this episode of me amusing myself with a Dave Campbell-inspired episode. And, gig 'em, Aggies.
- Jeffrey Cranor
September 15, 2018
Comments
Agnieszka Jaromin
I have to say that not only am I not a sports person, I'm also European, so for me football means soccer. And I don't really understand even that, so American football is like black magic to me. I have literally no idea what most things in this episode even mean :D Still enyoyed the writing, though.
Scott Morizot
I will add that the Venn diagram of Night Vale and football fans is not completely non-overlapping. I certainly enjoy both. And basketball. I've never been able to get into baseball, despite my father's best efforts. I *did* enjoy the opportunity to roam the Astrodome as what we now call a 'preteen' as a member of the Astros kids club he bought for my brother and me, though. :-) I doubt I'm the only Night Vale fan who also enjoys football. The overlap might be pretty small, but it does exist.
