Surviving Football Season

My husband loves football. 

Before I met him I kind of liked football sometimes. 

After a few years and a few changes I can say I actually enjoy watching football. 

Tips for Surviving Football Season when you are Married to a Football Fanatic. 

1- Know who to cheer for. You probably already know his favorite team. If you don't- you really should. Because it is nice to show interest in his interests. Also it makes for easy gift giving. Just kidding. Kind of.  But these are the games you should plan on watching.  Or at least plan on him watching.  I like knowing when these games are so I have a heads up. 

* Sometimes games won't be on T.V. It doesn't always work out we can watch. We might be at church or with family. We might be chasing Jack around. We don't plan our lives around what time the game is on. But when we can watch his favorite teams, we do, because it doesn't happen that often.  

2- Learn about the game. If you have a basic understanding of football, that's good. If you want to know how he can watch play after play, down after down, learn a little more.  You might be surprised by how much you are missing. There is a lot that goes on every play! So even if you know what First Down and Touch Down mean, learn words like, Blitz, Screen, Reverse, and Draw Play. Then see if you can spot them during a game. 

3- Watch for and recognize penalties. The thing I used to hate the most about football was the flags thrown after almost every play.  It made things move so slow. But now I've turned it into a game I call,  Call The Penalty. Watch for things like offsides, holding, false starts and late hits. They can be easy to see. Then guess what the flag is for before they announce it. It's fun. Like guessing a pitch before it's thrown. Okay maybe that is just me. But get it right and your husband will think you are pretty cool. 

4- If he plays fantasy football- Be familiar with his key players. I know, I know. This is the last thing you want to do. But trust me. It is easier than it sounds. Ask him who his quarterback is. In fact ask him who his top three picks were. And what teams defense he has. Why? Because when guys play fantasy football they aren't just cheering for their favorite team anymore. They are also cheering for (and watching) their fantasy players.  Football (or any sport) in my opinion is more enjoyable if you care about who is winning. 

5- Food makes football so much better. Throw together a veggie tray. Chips and salsa. Something. 

6- If you are still bored out of your mind find a project you can work on while you watch.

7- If you have time watch a little Sports Center. Or just add Sports Center to your lists of websites you browse. I know you are thinking I must be joking. More football? Yes. Because you will learn things on Sports Center that increase your interest in specific players or teams. Example: Derrick Coleman. If you watched the Super Bowl last year without knowing the Derrick Coleman story, you missed out big time. 

And while there is not always something inspirational to cheer for, you can always find something to cheer against. The NFL is full of drama that The Real Housewives of Any City Anywhere can't hold a candle to. Example: Adrian Peterson.  

8- Talk about the uniforms. This is the best kept secret in football. If you don't believe men care about what the teams are wearing or how they look, you are mistaken. Because if they didn't teams wouldn't bust out new uniforms for special dates and events. Oregon wouldn't come out in new uniforms every single game. Teams wouldn't try to keep new uniform designs a secret from the public until a big reveal. So when you feel like the game is going slow strike up a conversation about the matte finish on the home teams helmet.