Here we are, and the off-season is finally winding down.  Ever since I started this blogging thing, the football offseason has seemed to take forever.  I guess that's because, unlike in years before 2007, I was able to get my mind off of football for long stretches of time between January and August.  Since I started GeauxTuscaloosa, and since moving over to ATVS, that has not been the case.

Of course, much has happened personally in that time, including the birth of Little Miss ATVS.  She is 17 months old now.

Followers of this site know that I live in Tuscaloosa.  Followers of this site may not know that I am married to an Alabama Crimson Tide football fan.  We met when I was in law school and got married a couple years later.

Mrs. ATVS and I actually get along pretty well football-wise.  We're both good fans, in that we don't do any trash-talking or get on each other's case.  Of course, the birth of Little Miss ATVS has started an inevitable power struggle within the house, as we are competing to win the battle of the child's rooting interest.  Will she be an LSU fan?  Will she be a Bama fan?  Will she be a rebel and pick neither?  Will she resent us both?

These questions and more will eventually have answers, but for now she doesn't really understand.  That does not mean we can't start the indoctrination process early, however.  We both try, but sometimes we have to make compromises.

Take the question of "What colors will the child wear on game day?"  This is an issue upon which we have decided to compromise for the sake of peace.  This year, we have this schedule of when the child wears what colors:

Week 1: LSU vs. App. State; Bama vs. Clemson.  Alabama colors.
Week 2: LSU vs. Troy State; Bama vs. Tulane.  LSU colors.
Week 3: LSU vs. North Texas; Bama vs. Western Kentucky.  Alabama colors.
Week 4:  LSU vs. Auburn; Bama vs. Arkansas.  LSU colors.
Week 5:  LSU vs. Mississippi State; Bama vs. Georgia.  Alabama colors.
Week 6:  LSU vs. bye; Bama vs. Kentucky.  Alabama colors.
Week 7:  LSU vs. Florida; Bama vs. bye.  LSU colors.
Week 8:  LSU vs. South Carolina; Bama vs. Ole Miss.  LSU colors.
Week 9:  LSU vs. Georgia; Bama vs. Tennessee.  Alabama colors.
Week 10:  LSU vs. Tulane; Bama vs. Arkansas St.  LSU colors.
Week 11:  LSU vs. Alabama.  Child dresses in neutral colors to maintain peace.
Week 12:  LSU vs. bye; Bama vs. Mississippi State.  Alabama colors.
Week 13:  LSU vs. Ole Miss; Bama vs. bye.  LSU colors.
Week 14:  LSU vs. Arkansas (Friday); Bama vs. Auburn.  LSU colors (Friday);  Alabama colors (Saturday).

The basic rules are:

1. When one team has a bye week, the baby wears the other team's colors.
2. When teams play on different days, the baby wears the colors of the team playing on that particular day.
3. The day (and week) of the Alabama vs. LSU game is a neutral day when the child does not wear the colors of either team.
4. Colors for the other week are chosen by draft and/or negotiation, reverting to draft if negotiations fail.

The biggest problem here is that I had to give up the LSU vs. Georgia game, but Mrs. ATVS was dead set on getting the Tennessee game.  It was naturally her first choice after automatic assignments.  My first choice was LSU vs. Auburn.  We each get 5 SEC games, and we each get 7 total games.  All in all, it's quite fair.

Next year promises to be a lot more difficult, as Little Miss ATVS will start wanting to choose her own clothes.