Must-See TV: Only so many Friday nights left

Aug. 24—There's a video of a Sean Payton locker room speech attached to Kenny Chesney's song, "Boys of Fall."

Payton, longtime New Orleans Saints head coach, is talking to a high school team about how the seniors will miss this feeling.

That feeling: Friday nights on the football field.

Payton starts the speech with "27 years ago, I sat in this locker room just like you guys, on a knee, getting ready to play a game."

He reminisces for a moment as he tells the team that walking to the locker room it still "smells the same." He added that the one thing that caught him was just how fast 27 years will go by.

Now, I've only been out of high school for 8 years, but I concur. It has flown by and it will fly by for you seniors as well.

I never played football but I miss being on the diamond or the basketball court. I miss the feeling of taking the field with my friends and wearing the "Oklahoma Union" uniform and "Cougars" across my chest.

It's a feeling you don't get back once it's gone.

Payton compares the feeling to getting married or having a child. He says that you still get that feeling later in life, but you don't get it every Friday night.

"I'd give anything, tonight, to jump in one of these uniforms with you guys," Payton adds.

I have those same thoughts. If I'm out covering a baseball or basketball game, there are times I dream of going back and lacing up my cleats or basketball shoes to run out and compete again.

What I wouldn't give to do the celebratory chest-bumps, high-fives and screaming one more time with teammates is a very short list.

Like Payton says in the video, "I'm vicariously living through you guys." Payton says that there are "so many people" who live vicariously through those football players in the locker room and it's true.

You athletes have no idea. I don't think I would be the only reporter to admit that they're living vicariously through athletes every day when they do their job.

What about the fans? You think your entire community shows up to watch you play just because it's something to do on a Friday night? Maybe it is just something to do, but it's something they love to do.

The men are there because it's something they loved when they were in school and now the only way to get a taste of that love again is to come and cheer you on from the sidelines or the stands.

What about the young fans? The little kids are living through you as well. Middle school students to youth players, they want to be like you seniors. They want to be the next running back or quarterback scoring the game-winning touchdown. They want to be the next defensive player making the game-saving tackle.

The coaches aren't just there for their job. They chose that job because they want to give you athletes the same special four years of Friday nights that they had when they were in school. Seeing their athletes succeed and develop a love for the game is a part of their job.

The referees could even be living vicariously through the players on the field as well. They didn't choose that job to be shouted at by fans. A lot of refs are probably former players who wanted to stay close to the game in another way.

So on Friday night when you suit up and run out on the field with your boys, remember the reporters, fans, coaches and refs were probably once in your shoes and are wishing they could get into a uniform and play right next to you.

These Friday nights are all about you. There's only so many of them left, especially for you seniors. Some of you will be going on to play at the college level and then you'll get to play on Saturday's. But that's in the future.

Stealing some of Payton's words, you have all the time in the world for the future. Focus on this Friday night and the next one until they aren't there anymore. You'll miss them.