My Uncle who made me a Tiger fan passed away last Friday

Oct 22, 2013, 10:36 PM

just wanted to put this on here because i know a lot of Tiger fans can relate. He was a '55 grad, a 40 year IPTAY member and took me to my first game in DV in '77 when i was 9 and it was the ND game with Joe Montana. I was raised in a ND household with my Pop being a life long ND fan. My Uncle was my mom's brother but him and my Pop were both Korean War vets and became best friends and sports fanatics together, pro and college. I wore ND stuff all through childhood and my first game was the '76 ND/Chickens game in Columbia, my hometown. I worshipped the gold helmets and the "they go to class and graduate and win titles, son" stuff from my Pop had me hooked until my Uncle took me and my Pop to Clemson for the ND game and it was a wrap. My Pop said to me a few weeks later, "i guess it's Fuller to Butler for you, huh?" and i told him "yep, it is". He reluctantly got me a number 99 Tiger jersey for Xmas that year and i wore it out, much to the delight of my Uncle who rubbed it into my Pop's face for years after that. We went to South Bend in '79 to see the win and I was glad to see my Uncle and my Pop together as brother's in law but more importantly my Uncle took my Pop to his first ND game in South Bend. My Pop turned to me during the 4th quarter and said, "Good God son, they play defense" when Clemson was stuffing the Irish on virtually every play. My Uncle made me a Tiger and made my Pop a closet Tiger. My Pop is buried in an ND sweater and hat and my Uncle went in the casket with a block "C" Danny style hat and an original Tiger Rag. When you are raised around men like that you thank them every day for exposing you the passion that comes with being a fan for life, no matter what changes in life come your way. RIP Uncle Doug, i'll be a Tiger til the day i die.