The Buddies

It would be fun to hear their story, these two—the guy on the left in the blue cap, who spiritedly flips off the ref every time he makes a call against Boise State, holding it up high and proud for an unreasonably long minute, as though the ref could actually see it, and the guy on the right, with his Boise State picnic-tablecloth-style shirt complete with, wait, is that—yes—a matching visor. Perhaps they're just work acquaintances or coincidental season-ticket seat mates, but judging by their well-timed double high five—the two-handed one where you square up shoulders first—and their combined arsenal of blue- and orange-confetti party poppers, one for every Boise touchdown, I think it's fair to say this friendship runs deep.

I'm a little late in posting "the buddies," as we dubbed them when we had the fortune of sitting a few rows up from them at the Thanksgiving-weekend BSU football game. I can't remember the opponent, but I will always remember the Hail Mary pass that ricocheted right into the hands of Matt Miller (our Montana boy), who was reclining, in the end zone, on his back when the ball hit him in the numbers. And I will always remember the antics of The Buddies.

If I had made a New Year's resolution, and maybe I still will (better late than never), I think it would be being a better friend to all of my buddies, new and old. More phone calls. More lunch dates when in the same town (or state, or country). And more high fives—with two hands.

A few more snapshots from the blue turf:

There's Montana Matt, no. 2, center. He makes Tana proud every game day.