College Football Is Back, and I’m Escaping With Purpose

I’ve been fired up all week about the return of college football—something I’ve loved since I was a kid. Probably a little too much. And this weekend, I’m heading to Miami for a couple of days to take my son and my dad to see Notre Dame (my alma mater) play the University of Miami.

Given how brutal this year’s been—between the toxic, soul-sucking political crisis we are fighting through, a personal health scare, and my family’s fertility struggles—I’ve been thinking a lot about escapism. And community. And how both are urgently needed in this relentless fight against the existential threats that have shaken the very foundation of our country.

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I live for the things, both meaningful and more superficial, that light me up. Hosting an outdoor concert on my block a few weeks ago. Catching a new movie—I can’t wait for Wicked: Part Two and the new Avengers movie. A new episode of Game Changer on Dropout (which, by the way, you should absolutely be watching).

Everybody needs a place to retreat to—a pocket of joy. Whether it’s to shake off parenting stress with a date night, escape work chaos with an evening walk, or tune out a country that feels colder and crueler by the day, you need somewhere to go. Somewhere to recalibrate, blow off steam, breathe. Somewhere that reminds you how to feel. Sure, escapism can be a trap if you’re not rooted in the real world. But when I look back on the hardest chapters of my life, I remember the joy I found in worlds built by brilliant people—stories, games, experiences, voices, characters. That joy helped me hold on. That joy helped me tend to grief. Those worlds helped me reconnect with my people.

For me, college football is one of those worlds. The passion. The pageantry. The strategy. The grit. These kids pour their hearts into the game, and there’s something sacred about that. In another life, if I hadn’t struggled with my weight growing up, I think I would’ve tried to coach. There’s just nothing like being part of a team’s story. Last year, I followed Notre Dame across the country during their playoff run, took my son to two playoff games, and found myself wrapped up in a community that held me up at a time when things felt really hard—especially after we lost the last election.

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When I quit my job to start Authentic and I felt alone at work, it was the McElroy Brothers and their dumb D&D podcast—The Adventure Zone. When my son was born and I was struggling to process becoming a new parent, it was Red Dead Redemption and the Nationals winning the World Series. When I moved to Chicago and felt lost in a new city in the middle of the pandemic, it was Critical Role.

You don’t have to like the stuff I like. Find what lights you up. You’ve probably heard me say it before: touch some grass. Maybe you’ve seen me kayaking or swimming on social media—finally doing the things I love now that I’ve lost hundreds of pounds and can use this body the way I want. Hiking. Hitting golf balls with my son. Taking my family to Montana this summer. It matters. That joy matters.

Because here’s the thing: these fascists—especially Donald Trump—they “flood the zone” to drown us in misery, confusion, and self-isolation. Remember that leaning into joy is a necessity to keep fighting.

So do the opposite. Take care of yourself. Watch that “trashy” show with your BFF. I tune in to WWE Monday Night Raw religiously. My wife loves Love Island. I can’t stand it, but she lives for it—and that’s the point.

So indulge. Find reprieve in anything that makes you laugh, cry, engage, feel. Just don’t stop living your life. Don’t forget to find your people. Your hobbies. Small rituals that help you tune out the bullshit and remember who you are. Escapism, done right, is resistance. Rest is resistance. Joy is resistance. Reclaiming your energy and being inspired again—that’s the fuel that gets us through.

So go resist this holiday weekend. Be with people you love. Hit a cookout. Watch some football. Go protest or do some community service. Do the thing that makes you feel most like you. Because we all need something to escape into or give our lives meaning—and we all have a role to play in the world we’re trying to survive and rebuild.

For me this weekend, it’s taking my son to the beach today and then tomorrow cheering on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as they (hopefully) stomp the Miami Hurricanes. I can’t wait to lift my son in the air with my dad as we do push-ups for every Notre Dame touchdown.

Go Irish. 🍀

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