Monday, November 8, 2010

FOOTBALL AND FORDS

FOOTBALL AND FORDS

Sheryl J. Bize Boutte

November 8, 2010

I have never liked Fords. In my General Motors-centric family, Chevy’s ruled. We believed all of the negative things we heard about Ford’s lack of quality and dependability.

My earliest Ford experience came when we moved in the 1950’s and I had to ride in my grandmother’s Ford to our new house. I could not see out of the windows without standing up and that was no way to ride in a car with my grandmother’s rather unpredictable driving. I will never forget how small I felt in that cavernous, cloth-seated, smelly old car.

With that experience, I was more than ready to accept that F-O-R-D stood for “Found On Road Dead”, and “Fix Or Repair Daily”, and Flipped Over, Rolled Downhill.” Even my favorite aunt’s vintage Thunderbird was only made acceptable when she replaced the timid Ford motor with a Corvette engine. And my favorite uncle’s predilection for Fords made him the outlier in family discussions about cars. I can’t tell you how many times one of his Fords left him stranded on the side of the road.

These were my Ford values until I was introduced to a new Ford as I watched the Oakland Raider vs. Kansas City Chief’s game on Sunday, November 7, 2010. Jacoby Ford. Rookie. In other words, a new Ford.

A Ford who grabbed a kick-off return and ran 94 yards for a touchdown. A Ford, who in a sea of Chief’s, made a series of impossible catches, driving forward.

A Ford that did not leave us stranded.

A Ford with a well-tuned engine powered by the autumn wind.

A Ford that runs.