Joann Merritt's Essays

Super Bowl Sunday
January, 1990

Super Bowl Sunday, January 28, 1990 was perfect. The weather was gorgeous. The football fans were in their homes. They were off the sidewalks and streets. The alleys were deserted. Nobody called “Time Out” to notify local officials about suspicious characters with binoculars. It was a birder’s paradise, and participants were eager for action.

Our professional scouts, Don Hunter and Mark, had done their work well. When they blew the opening whistle it was the Birds versus the Midnats. The Birds had a full team of eleven with the Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Mountain Chickadee, Downy Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Dark-eyed Junco, House Finch, Orange-crowned Warbler, House Sparrow, and their star, the White-throated Sparrow. They also had a free agent, the Black-throated Gray Warbler, who suited up briefly and then left the playing field.

The Midnats fielded ten team members - Frances, Rose Marie, Mary Frances, Don Hunter, Alvin, Donna, Shannon, Mark, Allen and Joann. Substitutions were made frequently because of work, fatigue, illness, arthritis and (can you believe this excuse?) company at home!

We feel that we should be declared the winner. It wasn’t an easy game. Our first “Downy” was made on Country Club Drive, and from that point on it was “Go, team, go!” Two hours were spent going up and down the alleys and streets. As always, there had to be some unsportsmanlike conduct. The Sharp-shinned Hawk flew down from the upper deck and terrified the Birds, who promptly huddled or “froze”. He was penalized for a Personal Foul (even though some didn’t agree with the call) and was sent to the Birds field house in the sky. He continued flying over our playing field like the Goodyear Blimp surveying the game.

We are looking forward to the next Super Bowl Sunday, but 1990 will be a hard year to beat!