Giving Thanks for Good Friends and Good LOSERS

Long ago, when the world made sense, Marshfield High would be beating the daylights out of Duxbury for a league championship this Thanksgiving. But in this time of madness the Rams play in the Atlantic Coast Conference, where they have a record of 9 and 1. Duxbury's Dragons took the Patriot League, undefeated at 10 and 0.

So Turkey Day is no big deal, right?

Wash your mouth out with soap, blasphemer!

This is a yearly battle between not only two football teams, but two ways of life. There's Duxbury, home of rich people who think they are better than everyone else. And there's Marshfield, home of regular people who find being better than everyone else comes naturally. So we don't have to walk funny.

Yeah, I said it. You wanna make something of it??

All kidding aside, this rivalry is old and fierce. And since these days we are no longer competing for the same league championships, it's all about pride, bragging rights, and talent.

So there will be a few dragons with a lot less fire come Thursday. And I will have no voice from screaming "COME ON RAMS SLAY THEM DRAGONS!" And then we'll all end up in the same place having a drink and some turkey.

I dated the same guy throughout my high school years and he was from Duxbury, as were many of my closest friends. We straddled the borders of Green Harbor and Gurnet, beaches side by side. Many of those Duxbury kids are now Marshfield adults, with their own children wearing Rams green. So the Thanksgiving Day game is a big gathering of friendly rivals, families, and old friends.

But for the few hours on the field it's a blood bath. Don't get the idea it isn't.

This year my Ahmed is going to England for his dad's birthday. My bff Roxy, originally a Duxbury Dragon, now lives down the street and her kids are Rams. She got stuck with dinner and can't cook, so I'm going over to bake her turkey.

And my Rams will be baking some scaly turkeys on the field earlier that day.

Yeah, in the end it's all about the love and the cranberry sauce. But for a few hours it's about mud and colors, fans and feuds, blood and guts and glory.

Then we all get together for pie.

Go Rams!