If there’s one thing that runs in my family that I apparently never caught the gene for, it’s an extreme love for college football.

I know that might sound odd coming from the guy who covers sports for Fountain Hills, but it’s just something I’ve never really been passionate about. I could watch the Falcons on any court, mat, trail or field and happily cheer them on but, when it comes to college sports (football, in particular), I just never got bit by that particular bug.

You’ve got to keep in mind that I’m originally from just outside of Athens, Georgia, home of the one and only UGA. It’s common knowledge that anyone living in the area is born a “Hairy Dawg” and is expected to act accordingly.

But while I’ll gladly root for the red and black and respect the almost religious way true UGA fans view games hosted between the hedges, it’s simply a fanaticism I’ve never had.

I visited my family up in Parker over the weekend, including my mom, brother and his wife and kids. They are, without question, the biggest UGA fans west of the Mississippi. Keep in mind that such a distinction is only applicable because we are currently on the west side of that infamous river. If we were back East, they’d still give all of the Bulldog faithfuls a run for their money in the cheering section.

Unfortunately, this year’s showdown between UGA and Georgia Tech did not go according to plan. The Saturday following Thanksgiving, all seemed fine and dandy until the last three minutes of the game unraveled in front of our eyes, leading to a Yellow Jacket victory by a measly single point.

Even I felt the sting of that defeat. In case you aren’t familiar with that particular rivalry, it’s officially known as “clean, old-fashioned hate.” So, yeah, it’s a pretty big deal each year when UGA and GT take the field on opposite sides of the football.

While the game’s conclusion frustrated me, what I was feeling did not even come close in comparison to the hurt being felt by members of my family. For them, and for diehard fans of any college football team, these types of losses can gnaw at the back of your mind for a good long while.

In truth, I’m envious.

No, I don’t necessarily want to be floored over “my team” losing a big game, but neither will I feel the soaring joys these folks experience with all of the hard-fought victories.

The same goes for U of A and ASU. When those two teams went head to head last week, I thought my Twitter and Facebook feeds were going to explode. A lot of the people I grew up with adore those teams, and it was clear from the messages they were sharing online that the outcome of the Cats vs. the Devils was resulting in some rather potent emotions.

I have my own passions, sure, but I’m a little jealous that I’ve never known love for a team like these folks know. They bleed their team’s colors and share in their victories and defeats. There’s a certain camaraderie they experience with likeminded fans, too, that I’ve never felt myself. I’ve never cheered for anything the way they cheer for a first down.

It’s powerful stuff.