Are you ready for some football?
Can we talk about football, please? Like how awesome Tony Romo (who must always be referred to as ‘Tony Romo,’ never ‘Tony’) performed for my fantasy football team? Or how awesome football is in general, with its speed, athleticism, crazy fan bases, Hail Marys, trick plays, or 4th-and-1s?
I know there’s women out there who hate football and all it stands for, who don’t understand the allure, who don’t know who L.T. or T.O. are, who don’t know why their husbands or significant others would need to make player trades or adhere to salary caps, who don’t know why their guys watch games downstairs on the sly or vanish from parties to check scores.
But there’s got to be women out there who love the sport just as much, if not more, than some men. Right?
I can’t be the only woman at work who steals the sports section from the men so I can check my players’ statistics. And I can’t be the only woman who can tell you which team specific players used to play for, even if we’re talking about players who were done playing before I was born.
There has to be women out there who can’t miss opening kickoffs (especially if they are Vikings fans, since the Vikes are infamous for giving up touchdowns 3 seconds into the game). There has to be women who like to scream at the television: “Flea flicker! Why won’t you try the flea flicker, for god’s sake, COME ON!!!”
There has to be women who don’t understand the competitive merit of a 2-yard screen pass on third-and-long, who understand that the coach has to keep rushing the ball to establish the run, but don’t understand that when that hasn’t worked the last 15 times, why a nice long pass isn’t in order.
I know some women use football as an opportunity to rag on their significant other for ignoring them. For Jason & I, football is quality bonding time. I love sitting on the couch with him, both of us adorned with Vikings jerseys or sweatshirts, surrounded by football fare like beef sticks or fresh-from-the-crockpot-meatballs, our fantasy football lineups spread out hopefully in front of us like lottery tickets.
I love high-fiving him after a particularly good play, scaring the cats off our laps with our exuberance. And I love how my soul dies a little when a game is announced by Joe Buck, that talentless hack.
Anyway, football is awesome, is what I’m saying. And I hope more and more women out there feel the same way.
Because then maybe I wouldn’t have to always retrieve the sports section from the freaking men’s bathroom.
In terms of a spectator sport, football kicks every other sport’s ass, IMO. Plus, there is the tailgating, and the Football Food. And the beer.
Yay football!
Comment by Tessie — September 11, 2007 @ 2:24 pm
I love football this way, too (Broncos fan). In fact, I became the first woman to win a friend’s annual football pool (straight win-lose picks), much to the horror of all the men playing. I also was the first woman to have a 100% week when I picked every winner correctly. Kicking man butt is SUCH fun!
That being said, I have to admit my love for football is waning a smidge. We have the DirecTV Sunday ticket, so between college football and pro, we watch football at least 4 days a week and that’s ALL day Saturday and Sunday. I get a bit burned out by the end of the season, that’s all I’m saying. I still love football.
Comment by Shelly — September 11, 2007 @ 7:27 pm
I can’t do it. I tried watching the Superbowl once and liked watching the players’ butts and the graphics on the screen, but that only kept my attention for so long. Probably doesn’t help that I have no idea what’s going on, and I cringe and worry about brain injury every time I see a guy bash into someone. I’ll hang in there for good snacks and drinks though.
Comment by Susan — September 11, 2007 @ 8:44 pm
I have to say that while I enjoy football, I do not have this level of adoration for it. But in general I completely adore all sports and I am absolutely that kind of fan when it comes to baseball. And to a lesser degree, both college and professional basketball. And I’m always pleased when I find another women as passionate about a sport, any sport, as I am.
Comment by Jess — September 11, 2007 @ 9:31 pm
You are not alone!
I’m a Bengals fan and the fiancé is a Browns fan. Nothing like a little friendly competition. I will root for the Browns though when they play, say, the freaking Steelers. Especially now that they have that hot piece of ass on their team, Brady Q.!
Comment by Sara — September 12, 2007 @ 8:37 am
Yay! Tessie and Sara, I’m so excited there’s women out there who love football as much as I do!
Shelly,
Nice to see you here! My brother is a rabid Broncos fan so whenever the Vikes play them, it’s fun giving him grief.
And Susan, you’re too funny!
Sara,
Have you submitted your “Who Dey” video yet?
Comment by Shauna — September 12, 2007 @ 9:26 am
I love football. I used to not understand it AT ALL, but in the past 5+ years of marriage, my husband has explained it to me. I love that he explains the game and the plays. It’s very endearing. He gets so excited about it, how can I NOT be excited too?
He grew up as a Pittsburg fan, in small-town middle PA, and now he’s grooming our boys that way too. Even though we don’t live anywhere close.
Comment by Erin — September 12, 2007 @ 2:46 pm
Hi Erin, welcome!
There’s a large number of Pittsburgh Steelers fans in Minnesota. There’s even a bar called The Starting Gate in West St. Paul; it’s totally geared toward Steelers fans. I’ve never understood how that happened.
Comment by Shauna — September 12, 2007 @ 2:58 pm
I am totally with you on the football thing! I’m in St. Louis; please don’t make fun of my Rams (yeah, it’s hard, I know). Cheers to football season!!!
Comment by mom of the year — September 14, 2007 @ 2:08 am
MOTY, I can’t make fun of your Rams because they have the guy with the best football name ever: Incognito. Love him!
Comment by Shauna — September 14, 2007 @ 12:55 pm