August, 2016
City of Industry, California
"It's so hot," Linda said, as she put on the tennis dress she'd chosen for this occasion and the wide-brimmed hat and big sunglasses. "Aren't those kids going to fry out there?"
"None of them are going to mind it, trust me," he said as he tried to keep his eyes on the road yet follow the GPS readouts at the same time. "Besides it's a dry heat, not like all the sticky humidity we have back home. Plus they've got water, electrolytes and cool misting fans on the sidelines. I think they're going to be okay."
They'd rented a Honda for their stay in California, but Stephen insisted on parking it at a train station lot and riding something called "Metrolink" to the stadium. "Wouldn't it be a lot less hassle just to drive there? It can't be too much farther."
As they arrived at the station platform, Stephen added "Listen, the more we stay out of L.A. traffic, the better. This is going to be huge."
Linda shrugged as she looked up and down the tracks for an approaching train, amazed at the amount of people on the platform wearing red, white, and blue colors. "It's just a football game," she said.
A guy standing nearby heard her and turned around to face her. He was tall, had dark, curly hair and was in his early thirties or so. While he looked at her with amused shock, he said "Just a football game? Hey, did everybody hear this lady? Just a football game!" He motioned to the crowds of people standing on the station platform and everybody repeated her phrase mockingly and started to laugh.
Linda pulled her husband aside, by his shirt front and hissed "What's so funny?
Why is everybody making fun of me?"
"Because you said it's just a football game." He laughed, also.
"Yeah, so?"
A sleek, white train with high glass windows approached. "This is the first football game in Los Angeles in over twenty years. Clearly to them it's not just a football game."
"Whatever," Linda muttered, as they boarded the train. To her it wasn't just a football game, either. It was her son Matthew's first game as a Cleveland Brown, and there was a good chance he might actually get to play. All through his college career at Ohio State (which he'd attended on a full scholarship, majoring in Physical Education and Nutrition), she and Stephen had gone to as many of the games as they could, taking the hundred mile drive up the interstate to watch Matthew hunker down and pile drive defensive players on the other side, protecting his quarter back and running backs.