Game Day

The Jacksonville Jaguars played host to the Indianapolis Colts and their legendary quarterback Peyton Manning at Everbank Field this afternoon.

My wife got two free tickets for the game through her firm. As we ascended the escalator to get to the top tier of the stadium. This young boy with his David Garrard shirt, the Jaguars quarterback, and the way he was holding on to his father's hand kind of touched me. It is a scene that is universal, a young boy being taken to a sporting fixture by his dad.

Unbeknown to me, the boy's mother was behind me and saw me taking the photograph. She said she had taken a similar shot a while back. It turned out that the boy was only four years old.

I said, "He is a big lad."

His mother said, "Well, look at his dad."

Point taken. The boy's father was indeed a big man.

As we got off the escalator, she wished me a good afternoon, and good it was as the Jaguars secured a 31-28 victory with the last kick of the match, a 59-yard field goal by Josh Scobee.

The Jaguars fans went wild. After last week's humiliation at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles, they had something to shout about and shout they did.

In all the NFL games I have attended, Dallas Cowboys before we moved to Jacksonville, I have never before witnessed such passion and emotion. As my wife and I walked down the ramps to leave the stadium, the fans were in full cry, chanting "We are Jaguars!" It was marvellous to be among them.

I should imagine, the young boy will long remember this day.