There was, her Father had warned her, the honor and the thrill of bowl games for players and coaches, but for their families all too often that meant holidays at home, watching their husbands and fathers on television, or Christmas in a motel on the road. "For Stanford this year, if a bowl game materializes, that could mean the Rose Bowl on New Years or Gator Bowl practice on Christmas Day." He had not mentioned Thanksgiving.
"Thanksgiving in the house where you grew up, would have been poignant and memorable," she said to Griff. "The loss of this is difficult, but playing football in Japan will be an honor and an unforgettable experience, and the timing is out of your control."
"Both teams -- us and Arizona -- will fly on the same plane," Griff told her. "Players in the front, and our band in the back. To adjust to the 17-hour time difference, Coach has informed us that in Japan we will begin by getting up at 4:00 AM. It is likely that Graduate Assistant coaches will be responsible for making sure the players get up at 4:AM. Bed checks will be 9:00 PM. I have a bad feeling that I'm responsible for that also."
"The bad news," Griff said, "is that two days before Thanksgiving day, I'll be in a plane to Tokyo, and I won't be back until the following week."