Life

We went to the Massillon Tiger football game last night. We only stayed for the first half but we had fun. Henry loves the Tigers but he gets confused about them and the Bengals. He's got the "Go Buckeyes", "Go Reds", "Go Tigers" and "Go Bengals" yells down but a football team is a football team to him right now. Here is a photo of Henry outside the stadium. Note the brick. It encompasses the entire Briggs family, from Mom and Dad to Tami and now Sarah and Henry.

Massillon is a special place to me. I feel like Massillon has a lot to do with who I am and any success I've had in my life. Growing up there has made me the person I am today, on many different levels starting with it being the place where I landed nearly 41 years ago.

Massillon football is unlike anything anywhere. Sure, today there are better programs in the country but there is no better tradition anywhere. I respect the legacy of Massillon so much and wish we had the ability today to compete like we did back in the days. The Briggs family has roots in Massillon football, starting with my Grandfather's brother who was a star QB in 1926 and 1927 and played with Paul Brown. His name was Paul Briggs and he died at a young age; I wish I had known him but I'm glad I was named for him. My Grandfather Bill Briggs was the timekeeper for the Tigers when the Stadium was built and as a result the Briggs family has had tickets on the 50 yard line since 1939. My father played in the Tiger Swing Band but certainly was the driving force in my development as an athlete and without his encouragement and coaching I wouldn't have been half the athlete I was. He taught me the tradition of Massillon Tiger football by exposing me to the program at a very young age.

Henry won't have the opportunity to go to school in Massillon but he surely will know about the history of the Tigers. We will go to games every year and he'll always have some kind of Tiger gear in his closet. He knows daddy's favorite color is orange and that Massillon is the place that Granddad and Aunt Tami live.