Chasing Home (NFL)

Below the Surface

“One in the same, never to change
Our love was beautiful
We got it all, destined to fall
Our love was tragical

Wanted to call, no need to fight
You know I wouldn't lie
But tonight
We'll leave it on the line”

– “On the Line” by Demi Lovato ft. Jonas Brothers

Chapter 8: Below the Surface

            I was anxious as I stood on the sidelines in the Giants’ stadium. It was the first game of the season against the Redskins. I had agreed to talk to a reporter in a few minutes, and I knew it was not going to be about my brother. I leaned against the wall, closed my eyes, and took deep breaths.

            I knew I should not be nervous, but I could not stop thinking about everything that had gone on in the past few weeks. There were quite a few Packers fans at my college, and being at a small school, most people knew who I was. Several Packers fans made it a point to give their opinion on Brett joining the Vikings. I could remember one counter in particular a couple of days earlier.

            I could not remember his name. I was going down the stairs and he was heading up. He stopped in front of my when I reached the end, glaring at me. I knew something was wrong, but I decided to play it cool. “May I help you?” I said calmly.

            The glare did not leave his face. “You live with Brett Favre, right?”

            I blinked. “Yes. He’s my guardian.”

            The guy shook his head. “He’s made a huge mistake. He’ll be the Vikings’ downfall.”

            I felt a rush of anger as I glared back at him. “He will not! You should be more grateful for what he did for your team.”

            “He betrayed us!”

            “You let him go!” This was a conversation I did not want to have. I did not want to grow to hate the Packers. I tried to walk past the guy, but I heard him call after me.

            “Rodgers is going to beat him! He’ll be better than Favre ever was!”

            I spun around to give an angry retort, but then I stopped myself. If I refuted him, I would be attacking Aaron, and I did not want to do that. Aaron was my friend, right? This was not a contest. I immediately exited from the confrontation, but it left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

            Now I was left wondering how I felt about the whole situation. I did not have a good read on Packers fans’ reaction. Sure, they were angry, but I had expected that. There was still time for it to die down and for them to choose the alternative. Plus, I could just be noticing a loud minority. The real test would be the Vikings game at Lambeau.

            I opened my eyes and sighed. It was time to talk to that reporter. I easily found her and made my way over to her. “Hello,” I said with a slight smile.

            The reporter smiled at me brightly. “Lauren Manning. It’s good to be here with you. Are you excited for the Giants’ season to start?”

            “Of course,” I said into the microphone. “We didn’t get as far as we would have hoped last season, but we’re going to put that behind us and focus on doing the best we can this year.”

            The reporter nodded. “Good to hear. Now, I know everyone is wondering how you feel about your guardian Brett Favre joining the Minnesota Vikings. Was it the right move?”