The Little-Sweatshirt-That-Could...

Memphians generally dislike the Tennessee Titans NFL team.

They used and abused us. Passed over us as the next expansion spot, but then played in our Liberty Bowl facility for a season while they built the big fancy one in our rival-city, Nashville. [Jonny is definitely still not over it.]

"If Elvis were still alive, we'd HAVE an NFL team!" people said.

I like sports. I'm not a girl-sports-freak, but can usually keep up. Grew up watching the Cowboys win three Super Bowls in the 90s, revere Memphis Tigers basketball games, and for heavens sakes, I went to the University of Texas, where collegiate sports come before just about everything.

The Titans do not rank in my top teams, like at all. The Longhorns (alma mater), Tigers (hometown heroes), Grizzlies (the hometown professional team-that-could), and Cowboys (familial heritage/rite of passage) all hold permanent love in my heart. (It sure didn't hurt the Titans cause that they drafted Vince Young, though. I'll give 'em that.)

But I freaking love this sweatshirt.

Circa Christmas 2000, my dad got us tickets for a Monday Night Football game on Christmas Day. Titans vs. Cowboys. Could it get any better for the Guinn family?

[alas, there were only 4 tickets, and Sissy had to stay behind. I'm not sure she's over it yet.]

That game, I can say confidently, was the absolute coldest I've ever been in my entire life (we had sleeping bags, handwarmers, the whole bit---didn't matter. freezing.). And I can't tell you who won. But I can tell you that this sweatshirt was the best thing to come out of that game.

For some reason, it has become the integral piece of my at-home winter uniform for the past 10 (!) years, through four years of college and now (almost) four years of marriage.


I know it's not cute. It's not very flattering. I try not to wear it out of the house (often). Yet its qualities of being hoodless and light blue... these somehow trump all the cute zip-up hoodies and other warm items in my keeping over the past decade. It's loose, but not too loose. Warm, but not too hot. (Did I mention it's hoodless?)

Thank you, sweatshirt. Although I'm sure confused college roommates and Titans-hating-husband grew/have grown to dislike the look of you, I have not. Nor shall I, until you have holes and are wrestled away from me when I die.

Love, Leslie


on a [slightly] less dramatic note, these rumors are flying about a possible Gilmore Girls movie. HOW FREAKING WONDERFUL WOULD THAT BE