"... he sat there calm and loyal to his Auburn Tigers. He never responded to the guys in front of him shaking their cow bells in his direction. He just smiled when the guy next to him offered him his cow bell so he could have something to cheer about as we entered the second quarter. Just a part of the game, right? Just for the record, no one was hateful, used inappropriate language, or went 'over the top.' But, the ribbing continued as we rolled right into the second half.
"The momentum began to make a turn. He would simply clap for his team - no yelling, no fist pumping, nothing but a clap. It was during that third quarter when many State fans began to wonder if this game would end in our favor. On one of those big plays for Auburn as the stadium went silent, you could hear his clap, and the roar of a "Go Auburn!" Except the roar was coming from little Julia! Really it was a sweet, innocent, multi-syllable (as only little Southern girls can say it) kind of cheer. She quickly received a rebuke as any good State parent would do! 'Julia, we root for the Bulldogs and not Auburn.' She put her head down and was crushed. Something just didn't seem right. We asked her why she had screamed that phrase. She said, 'That man is all alone. It makes me sad.'
'Our hearts melted. She was oblivious to the score on the scoreboard. She just knew he wasn't cheering that much. She was keenly aware of the score that mattered. We took her down to his seat and told him what had happened. He agreed to a photo. The rest of the evening Julia kept a watchful eye on her new friend. For him, and with absolutely no disrespect, we say, 'War Eagle!' Once again, our children have taught us much. Julia, thank you for reminding Daddy that all people are special and loved by our heavenly Father and, thus, should be loved by us."
Originally Posted by Boston Red
