Am I taking the wrong view?

That's a tricky situation.  I've never been married, but I know I would be expected to ask my sister to be my matron of honor.  It's kinda sad, because I could think of several other women I'm much closer with that my own sister.  I was her maid of honor when she got married.

The reason I know that I would have to ask her is that my mother told me long ago that that's what sisters do.  Except, that's not what her sister did.  And it hurt her feelings pretty deeply.

I think the real question is this:  are you close enough with your brother for it to happen?  Or are you two like me and my sister (we call once a month out of a sense of obligation)?

Can you ask your folks? 

If you actually feel this way, then he would be right not to ask you to be his best man. Or a usher for that matter. Actually, I'd think twice about even sending an invitation.

Ty, you got to ignore people like this, they have no idea what it's like to be a fan of a real football team. I'm sure your brother checked the schedule before he set his date. If you have a wedding here on the same date as an LSU home game, expect a lot of "regrets" as RSVPs. If it's an away game, you'd better provide a TV in the bar at the reception.

As far as best man status, wield that ungodly kinko's power to take your brother to his knees. No best man for you, no stationery and invites for him.

Well, as a current bridezilla, I'd say just be patient. Chances are he has thought very little about ceremony stuff yet. My wedding is two weeks from yesterday and we just barely realized we even needed ushers and stuff.

If he doesn't ask you, it may have to do with the fact that a football game is more important to you. Maybe its something more innocuous, like the bride's brother is super-sensitive or dying of cancer or something. Anyhow, if he chooses someone else, he has certainly done it for a reason that is good to him and you have no choice but to accept it and screw him on the invites.

The Patriots aren't a real football team? You've been breathing too much swamp gas.  

Didn't say the Patriots aren't a real football team, said you didn't know what it was like to be a fan. Nor do you know anything about swamp gas!

Actually, I agree with these two. My brother and dad missed a family wedding while he was in high school because he had a baseball game.

My unlce and my moms discussion:
Uncle: "Is baseball more important [to my brother]"
Mom: "Yes."
Uncle: "Alright then!"

No hard feelings, it was completely understandable. Sports is huge in our family.

Tyrant, I agree with you, my friend is planning a wedding for 08.  It will be Oct 18.  The open/bye week for Florida football.  What true alumni/college football fan would schedule there wedding on the day of a home game.

As for the "best man"  It depends on how close you and your brother are.  I love my brother, but i'm not very close with him and while he would be in my wedding, he probably wouldn't be my best man.  If you were serious about the USC football thing when talking to your brother, that could be a reason why he didn't ask you to be his best man.  I'd wait and see.

My wedding date had to take into account Notre Dame football for my father-in-law and deer hunting opener for a bunch of my family.  Some didn't show for the wedding because deer hunting was more important.  I'd rather they stay away than be miserable at my wedding and make me shell out $50 a head. 

The Notre Dame game part was actually fun.  It was something to focus on other than weddingweddingwedding and it doesn't get much more Catholic than watching the domers play BC in the basement of a Catholic church! 

 I loved being the ridiculous drunks at my wedding  - they made it much more fun.  And the video is more fun to watch now, too!

I hope there are lots of drunks at my wedding. My mother will be mortified and keeps trying to limit the amount of alcohol we have, but I always wanted a happy wedding. And if getting my husband the guests drunk is what it takes, so be it!

Sounds fun - can I come?   One of the main requirements I had for my wedding was that it was open bar.  (the other was that it was great food, not regular wedding food, but really good food)  My parents were great.  At one popint the bartended wanted to shut the bar down early because we were apparently "visiting" it more than he liked.  My dad went up to him and explained that we had rented a shuttle bus for the guests just for that reason and convinced him to keep it open and add another hour!  After the wedding we went to the bar back at the hotel.  That was one of my faborite memories - drinking with my closest friends and relatives in a random hotel bar still in my dress and veil.