oregonpackfan
08-30-2006, 09:33 PM
At the risk of sacrificing my anonymity on this forum, I will state that my last name is the same name as Rich Gannon, former quarterback for the Oakland Raiders. We are not related. Though I now live in Oregon, I was born and raised in Wisconsin. Rich Gannon played his collegiate ball at Delaware.
When Rich Gannon was playing for the Raiders I had numerous people ask me, “Are you related to Rich Gannon the quarterback?†I would usually smile and state, “Nope. We just share the same name.â€Â
About six years ago, my daughter was a 7th grader in mid-school. She, like me, was asked many times if she was related to the Raider QB. Usually she just shook her head. Finally, a new and “cute†boy arrived at the school and asked her the same question. Perhaps to impress him, this time she bubbled, “Yeah, he’s my Dad!â€Â
Needless to say, the kid was very impressed and he began spreading the news around to his new friends at school. While some of her friends knew it was just a ruse by my daughter(I’ll call her Lori, which is not her real name, for identity protection), others were very fascinated.
More and more students began asking her about her “Dad, the football star†and she felt obligated to keep up the charade. One acquaintance challenged her “Hey, Lori, I thought your Dad was a school teacher in Wilsonville(a neighboring community)†Yes, I am her “real†dad, just an ordinary public school teacher.
Being quick on her feet, Lori answered, “ Uh, oh him? That’s just my stepdad.†I nearly spat out my coffee when Lori told me this later!
The next day, her social studies teacher asked Lori about her “Dad.†She again repeated the false relation to Rich Gannon.
Lori was a straight A student, a good athlete, and a member of the Student Council. Therefore, she had earned a high level of credibility at the school. Except for a few close friends who knew her well, virtually everyone in the school believed her.
Finally, one day she was called into the Principal’s Office. As she was an excellent student and well-behaved, Lori had no idea what the private conference was all about.
The Principal came right to the point with something like this: “Lori, it has been brought to my attention that your father is Rich Gannon, the Oakland Raiders quarterback. I have been meaning to hold a school assembly featuring an inspirational speaker who can reach the kids on topics like goal-setting, making good choices, and avoiding drugs and alcohol. Do you think you could give me your Dad’s phone number so that I can call him?
Caught in a blatant deception, Lori had to come clean and admit it was all a lie.
We can laugh about it now. For a couple of years when Lori’s guy friends would see me with her they would yell something like, “Hey, Mr. Gannon! Are you going to lead the Raiders to the Super Bowl this year?â€Â
Lori is heading off to college this week. I can guarantee you she will not be telling any of her new college friends that Rich Gannon is her father. She has learned her lesson about telling the truth!
OPF
When Rich Gannon was playing for the Raiders I had numerous people ask me, “Are you related to Rich Gannon the quarterback?†I would usually smile and state, “Nope. We just share the same name.â€Â
About six years ago, my daughter was a 7th grader in mid-school. She, like me, was asked many times if she was related to the Raider QB. Usually she just shook her head. Finally, a new and “cute†boy arrived at the school and asked her the same question. Perhaps to impress him, this time she bubbled, “Yeah, he’s my Dad!â€Â
Needless to say, the kid was very impressed and he began spreading the news around to his new friends at school. While some of her friends knew it was just a ruse by my daughter(I’ll call her Lori, which is not her real name, for identity protection), others were very fascinated.
More and more students began asking her about her “Dad, the football star†and she felt obligated to keep up the charade. One acquaintance challenged her “Hey, Lori, I thought your Dad was a school teacher in Wilsonville(a neighboring community)†Yes, I am her “real†dad, just an ordinary public school teacher.
Being quick on her feet, Lori answered, “ Uh, oh him? That’s just my stepdad.†I nearly spat out my coffee when Lori told me this later!
The next day, her social studies teacher asked Lori about her “Dad.†She again repeated the false relation to Rich Gannon.
Lori was a straight A student, a good athlete, and a member of the Student Council. Therefore, she had earned a high level of credibility at the school. Except for a few close friends who knew her well, virtually everyone in the school believed her.
Finally, one day she was called into the Principal’s Office. As she was an excellent student and well-behaved, Lori had no idea what the private conference was all about.
The Principal came right to the point with something like this: “Lori, it has been brought to my attention that your father is Rich Gannon, the Oakland Raiders quarterback. I have been meaning to hold a school assembly featuring an inspirational speaker who can reach the kids on topics like goal-setting, making good choices, and avoiding drugs and alcohol. Do you think you could give me your Dad’s phone number so that I can call him?
Caught in a blatant deception, Lori had to come clean and admit it was all a lie.
We can laugh about it now. For a couple of years when Lori’s guy friends would see me with her they would yell something like, “Hey, Mr. Gannon! Are you going to lead the Raiders to the Super Bowl this year?â€Â
Lori is heading off to college this week. I can guarantee you she will not be telling any of her new college friends that Rich Gannon is her father. She has learned her lesson about telling the truth!
OPF