Media Blackout

Here at ICS, we are in the midst of a self-imposed media blackout all day today. The Superbowl finished up a couple of hours ago. It was on live from 7:00 a.m. to about 9:30 a.m. this morning (Monday). But of course none-of-us watched it, we were all busy teaching.

My principal taped it and another colleague is hosting a big Superbowl party this evening. The die-hards sport fans among us are absolutely paranoid about inadvertently finding out the results.

Normally even-keeled colleagues are standing at their classroom doors barking at students as they enter the classroom not to say a word. Teachers who won't give students a detention for failing to turn in a major project are threatening students with three-day suspensions if they say a thing.

No one here is logging onto the internet or is checking his personal email for fear of finding out Superbowl results. Even people who are not going to the Superbowl party or who couldn't care less about football are keeping themselves ignorant, lest they have a turrets-like moment and uncontrollably shout out the score and thus become a pariah around here for all eternity.

I am usually not much of a sports nut, but all this hoopla is proving too much for even me to resist. Rumor is that we might even have a few of our British and Kiwi colleagues at the party tonight.

I tried to get my Australian colleague and neighbor -a big rugby fan- to come, but he said no thanks. His exact words were "Get them to take off those helmets and all that padding, and turn it into a real sport, then I'll think about it."

I'll be bringing a seven layer salad.

-Jack

After six months of being corrected by my Nigerian and Indian coworkers, I have had to learn to refer to it as American Football. Don't want to be confusing it with futball.

(picture by Annika VanNoord)