Football, by Cosh

Mary Cosh sometimes feels as though she spent the entire fall at a football stadium.

She has gone to all seven home games at the University of Maryland, where her husband works as defensive coordinator. She has attended all 13 games played by Arundel High, which rode the passing arm of her youngest son to the state semifinals. She didn't dare miss any of the four junior varsity games at the Naval Academy since it was a rare opportunity to catch her eldest son in action.

Fortunately, Mary has grown to love the gridiron game so she doesn't mind the many trips to Byrd Stadium, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and...