Thursday, November 14, 2013

Why I Love Football


I’ve been trying to think of some less serious, thought provoking subjects that have dominated this blog. Then it hit me… like a linebacker!



I’ve always loved football to some degree my entire life. When I was younger I was more attracted to the uniforms. I remember I liked the Jets and Bengals because of their cool helmets (I’ve since become much much wiser… The Buccaneers now have the coolest helmets). My Dad wasn’t a huge football fan, but he’d watch the occasional game and we always went to SuperBowl parties every year. I vaguely recall the1982 Bengals/49ers superbowl (told you their helmets were cool) but the first one I really remember was the 1985/86 Bears/Patriots superbowl. I thought the Superbowl Shuffle was the greatest song to ever hit the airwaves and was introduced to the wonderful world of sports betting when one of my Dad’s friends bet me a dollar that the Fridge wouldn’t score a touchdown (He did, and it was a good thing because I don’t think I had a dollar).

Stood outside for hours in the rain to get this. Yes, it was worth it



As I learned more about the game, I went from a Broncos fan as a kid, to a rabid-bleed-Orange and Blue Bronco-Maniac as an adult. I know everything I know about football plays and strategy from Joe Montana Football and Madden video games (TECMO Bowl doesn’t count… there’s no strategy involved in TECMO Bowl). I know way too many things about players and statistics thanks to Fantasy Football. My children are trained to avoid bothering me on Football Sundays, and are forbidden to speak during Broncos games. There have only been a select few things or people important enough to drag me from a Denver Broncos game in my lifetime.


I could babble on for hours (days… years…), telling you stories and how big of a Broncos fan I am (I refuse to buy a Peyton Manning jersey because I have a jersey curse when it comes to Broncos Quarterbacks) but I’ll break it down using the internet’s favorite blogging tool… the “5 things” list!

1. Instant conversation starter


Everyone's family when you wear a jersey

Everyone that knows me has seen me in at least one of my Broncos jerseys (yes, I have more than one). I try to limit my jersey wearing to gameday or special events (BBQs, etc). I’ve even worn it on a couple dates (one was the Pro-Bowl, and the other was an impromptu last minute thing following a Broncos game). One of the reasons I wear the jerseys is that I’m proud of my team (rabid fan, remember?) but a secondary, and more interesting reason is that it’s guaranteed to strike up at least three conversations with complete strangers. People will ask about the game that week, declare their own rivalry (usually Raiders fans),Tell me they’re from Colorado too, or tell me their own football stories. It’s simply amazing that wearing an NFL shirt or hat can cause others to strike up a conversation with a random person they otherwise would have walked right past.

2. The Anticipation of Gameday

Football is fairly unique among other professional sports in that each team only plays once a week. Add the fact that there are only 16 games in a season (“ONLY?!” says the Football Widow…) and each game becomes a pivotal matchup that can make or break a season. The NFL has an amazing job of making each week an event leading up to Sundays (we’ll just pretend Thursday Night football doesn’t exist).
You start with the high or low on Sunday (or Monday) immediately following the game. You get the interviews with the players. ESPN breaks down the games and shows theSportscenter Top Ten plays (Da da-da, da da-da). Monday mornings are complete waste of productivity as everyone discusses the games and consoles the fans of losing teams ("Let me take this meeting, Tom. We all saw the Raiders game yesterday”). You find out who got hurt, and hope your star running back is going to be able to play on those sprained ankles. The other team starts talking smack. Your team talks even more smack.

By Friday, water coolers are surrounded by bold predictions (the Lions are going to the Super bowl) and even bolder wagers (if the Patriots win, you gotta wear this “I love Tom Brady” shirt). Saturday is a blur as your rush to get everything you were supposed to do over the two-day weekend accomplished in one.

Then finally Sunday comes. You scramble to get everything ready, come home from church, if that’s your thing, get your beer and favorite dip ready, and sit in your favorite chairadjusted in the lucky position that it’s been since the ’98 Super bowl win. You turn on the wide-screen, the announcers hype up the game, and…
...you find out they’re showing the local 49ers/Jaguars game because you now live in Northern California, so you scramble to find your keys so you can drive down to the local sports bar in hopes that they have the Sunday ticket and a spot at the bar so you can watch the Broncos game on the tiny television with no sound on the other side of the room.

3. Fantasy Football


Whoever came up with the concept of Fantasy Football was a genius. Though some purists say it ruins the game, it’s just made me love and respect it that much more.

The concept of Fantasy Football is simple. Every season you (the owner) pick real life NFL players to be on your “Fantasy Team” and whenever they catch balls, score a touchdown, etc, you get points for your team. Back in the day, before Al Gore invented the Internet, we used to have to wait to get the Monday paper and crunch all the stats by hand (USA Today was the standard), but now you can get live stats and see the results instantly. This is why your boyfriend is constantly checking his phone during your Sunday night date. Relax, it’s not another girl (unless she’s playing against him, talking smack).

There are many variations, but usually you join 9 to 11 other owners to create a League. No one can have the same player on their teams (i.e. only one person gets Peyton Manning, etc) and you go head to head with different team each week. The winner of the season wins the league and whatever prize you have set up (Money…a trophy…pride). What does it have to do with enjoying real football? Plenty.

Thanks to fantasy football, I watch games I normally wouldn’t be interested in (Why am I watching the Browns game? I have their wide receiver). I follow players from team to team. I get share a beer with a random guy in the bar who also owns Adrian Peterson in his league. I test my loyalties when I’m using the Chief’s Defense against the Broncos this week. I am suddenly concerned when my player’s father passes away and wonder if it’ll affect his game.

Okay, maybe it sometimes makes me obsess a little too much about football…

4. Brings people together

I mentioned how complete strangers become instant friends (or enemies) simply because of my jersey. Well, that guy is coming to my Super bowl party now.

Football brings people together. On any given Sunday, people are hosting parties, tailgates, or gathering at sports bar. A lot of times, the game is only secondary to the fun and comradery.  If you ever have the chance to tailgate before any sort of football game, be it NFL, College, or even high school, I highly recommend it. It’s a block-party in a stadium parking lot. People share food and games, and everyone’s invited, no matter what team you’re cheering for. Even if you have no interest in the game, you can’t help but feel the energy.

5. The Game (duh)

Football is a game like no other. Every series is a mini-crisis that can only be resolved by gaining 10 yards. Each touchdown is an event in itself. Comebacks can and do happen, no matter what the score. It synergizes a high level of strategy with brute force and power. The intellects will appreciate the subtle details and shifts of each play; the back and forth chess match between offense and defense. Others will get a rise out of the bone crunching hits, the athleticism, and the supreme physical effort involved in gaining a mere yard. Fans will take it all in with paint on their face and cheese on their head.

See, Football is no mere sport. It’s whatever you make it. It’s a game. It’s a lifestyle. It’s three hours of not caring about taxes, rent, or your mother-in-law’s upcoming visit. It makes strangers friends and equalizes nerds and jocks. If you think I’m wrong, and think it’s just a stupid game, go to a bar, restaurant  or your friend’s house during the game. Watch the magic happen and see the happiness it brings to everyone in the building. You can’t help but feel the love…
… until the stupid kicker misses the game winning field goal.





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