The Claverie family is a little bit of an anomaly.
I am the youngest of three children, and one might say all three of us have a great deal invested in the Southeastern Conference.
We were born and raised in Metairie, and being the dedicated Southern kids we are, my oldest sister Kathryn chose to attend Ole Miss, Kelly made her way to Alabama, and I came to LSU.
Not only did we all keep it in the SEC, but in the SEC West.
My mom even dons a custom-made license plate with the likeness of Colonel Reb, Big Al and Mike the Tiger – that is dedication.
My father has had to be careful about the way he cheers for each respective school, making sure not to upset any of his three children.
But during the past four years, I have noticed an alarming trend.
When Kathryn was in Oxford, Miss., my dad rooted for the Rebels, when Kelly was in T-Town, my dad was an Alabama fan, and now that I am at LSU, my dad is an Alabama fan.
Something is missing, right?
Now I’m not saying my dad roots against the Tigers. In fact, when we talk, he asks me for the inside updates on LSU.
But every season for the LSU-Bama game, I wonder where papa’s loyalties lie.
Two year’s ago is a perfect example of dad’s inability to find the middle ground.
LSU and Alabama engaged in an epic battle in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Of course, the Tigers won 16-13 in overtime when “King Comeback” JaMarcus Russell hit former wide receiver Dwayne Bowe for the game-winning score.
After the game, all my dad did was talk about the Crimson Tide’s missed opportunities, coach Mike Shula’s inept play calling and the fact that Alabama really could have come out on top if the ball would have bounced their way just a couple of times.
Not exactly what an elated LSU fan wants to hear after a tremendous triumph on the road.
But wait, it gets worse.
My dad was a Sabanite when he roamed the LSU sidelines for five seasons. Like many fans, he felt betrayed when St. Nick left for the NFL in 2005.
But all that changed on Jan. 3, 2007.
When Nick Saban announced his return to college football and the SEC, I did not answer my phone for fear of my sister’s and father’s gloating. I was not mad when Saban left for the NFL – I felt it was the right move at the right time. But his decision to return to the college game in a Crimson polo was just too much for the Claverie’s to handle.
When Saban made the trip to New Orleans for the funeral of former Tiger, Marquise Hill, my dad called me just to say he saw Saban’s jet in the air with a giant “A” on it.
I almost lost it. I do not care about Saban’s jumbo jet full of lies.
But a few weeks ago, I honestly did not know how to proceed when my dad called me following LSU’s huge victory against Florida.
The first words he uttered were “Rooooooll Tigers.”
(Fill in your own expletive here).
I was taken aback. Could my dad have forgotten which team chanted what? He is not that old. What is next, “Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer give ’em hell, LSU?”
I know it was just an honest mistake, but I still wanted to slam the phone, chuck it out the window and change my last name – and first name, too. Both our first names are Keith.
But I love my dad. I know he is in a tough spot. He has two kids at two prestigious programs, competing for the top spot in the SEC West (Well, three kids, but Kathryn is not really into football, and Ole Miss is a mess).
I know he would like both Kelly and I to be happy this Saturday, but it just will not happen. Inevitably, my dad will have to make a different phone call to each of us this weekend – to console one and celebrate with another.
That cannot be easy.
So for now I will allow my dad to continue spreading his fantom amongst SEC rivals – as long as I keep getting the celebratory phone calls like I have been for the past four years.
Ouch! Sorry, Kelly.
——Contact Keith Claverie at [email protected]