Why Carl Nassib and TJ Osborne matter

John and TJ Osborne of The Brothers Osborne. Photo: Consequence (note: this photo was obtained via Google Creative Commons License; if this photo is not in the public domain and you own the copyright, please contact the author for removal or attribution)

This article originally appeared in “Sky’s the Limit,” my Substack newsletter

I wanted to get this out for Pride Month, but unfortunately, I struggled to find a home for it and, when I did, breaking news overtook it. So, it was never published. In some ways, that works out, as this essay is just as relevant for the Fourth of July as it is for Pride Month. After all, if country music is the soundtrack of America, football is our true national pastime. Both are as down home as gravy and biscuits, as heartland as Little League. From Hank Williams Jr’s iconic Monday Night Football anthem to Kenny Chesney’s “The Boys of Fall,” football and country music are intrinsically linked.

I am far from a sporting man. Those who know me will attest that I have not one athletic bone in my body. I am also not an avid fan; generally speaking, I don’t watch sports on television.

Still, I have always enjoyed the energy of a football game. The chill of the autumn air, pulsating with excitement and anticipation and the stale smell of cheap beer and grilled meats. From the glorious fall nights beneath the Friday night lights in high school, cheering on the Leslie County Eagles to tailgating before cheering on my beloved Hilltoppers in college, football features in many of my fondest memories.