Football: America's Pastime. {thoughts by Rhianna - a nonSports girl}

Who was it that said baseball was "America's Pastime?"  We need to rethink that phrase.  I'm pretty sure, when polled, most of the American population would put baseball somewhere in the 3-7 slot for favorite sport - depending on age, gender, region, & time of year polled.  Right?  Baseball is pretty darn boring to watch on television, and that's how most of us have to watch sports if we don't live near a town with a team or if we don't have ridiculous amounts of disposable income to pay for tickets to a game.

Anyway... I don't want to talk about baseball.  I would like to talk about football. 

This fall has been my first football season.  John loves football.  No, I mean, LOVES.  boldCAPSenlarged.  It's probably his 3rd favorite thing on the planet just under Christmas and me, respectively.   This is new to me.  I come from a land of basketball (which - depending on age, gender, region, & time of year polled - would take the #1 slot away from football).  I grew up in a land where I learned to love one particular basketball team by osmosis, not because I really am crazy in love with sports in general.  When I was a wee one I would dress up in blue with fun hair and crazy outfits during the month of March because it was Big Blue Day at school and we watched basketball games instead of learning fractions (to this day this is what I credit with my stupidity when faced with numbers).  Our teachers couldn't miss the games, how dare they schedule them during daylight hours on a weekday?!  We get paid slightly on or below poverty level to teach and now you schedule games while we work?!!! we need our basketball!!! they cried!  And the administration heard them and lo, basketball games blasted on televisions during the month of March everywhere I looked for as long as I can remember.  As I got older it was fun to gather with friends and watch games.  But I was never the kind of fan that cared if I had to miss a game for my grandfather's birthday or to have open-heart surgery.  No, no - not I.  But because of my upbringing, I do hold a love in my heart for a certain basketball team.  You try growing up where I did and see if you can make it out alive without being a small fan - unless you're one of those people that hates everything everyone loves just on principle, then I guess ya can.

John comes from a land of football.  No one really gave a poop about our football teams except in a passive way.  Whereas in the Land of John football was king.  I imagine his growing up experience similar to mine except flipflop the sports around.  Obviously.  And John just didn't live in the land of football, he worshiped the football king, got heavily involved in politics, and got arrested for trying to overthrow the kingdom and rule himself so he could be completely absorbed in football -- in 50 years he can return to that land as a free man once again.  So moving in with John has brought about my first football season.  If you come over to our house during Football Season you will find some kind of ESPN channel always on the television during the weekend.  John has three teams that he HAS to watch every weekend or bad things will happen.  Two college teams (these happen on Fridays or Saturdays) and one Pro (these happen on Sundays... and every once in a while, a Monday) {Sidenote - pay attention to how much I KNOW about football now... I know schedules!!! look at me go!} .  Also, it's not enough to just watch the game.  When you come from a Land of Football you learn that you also have to watch all the replays on the 14 thousand different ESPN channels and listen to all the sportscasters analyze players and plays AFTER the games.  If you're lucky, your football weekend could last almost a whole week because of satelite television & internet through the PS3.  Aren't you lucky?!!!  Oh and you HAVE to either toss a football at halftime (the first & last time I did this with John I stoved one of my right fingers really badly... it swelled up for almost a month) or play a football game on your game console of choice.  Oh and remember that you have to be in costume, if an official jersey is not available a team tshirt or hoodie will suffice, please and thank you.  Many a Saturday John and I have costume changes because two of his teams are playing.  I like to go with wearing one teams tshirt under another teams hoodie that way I can just pull something off to make my quick change.  If, God forbid, that game is going badly, it is important to get out every single item of paraphenalia of the sports team in the house and wear it or place it neatly around you.  This includes but is not limited to, Pez dispensers, nightlights, toothbrushes, gloves, socks, gum, & handmade quilts - all of which we have in the house, displayed... if I didn't put my foot down on some things, our whole house would be overtaken.  Seriously.  But yes, there is a lot to learn for one from the land of basketball entering a household with someone from the land of football. 

Here are my thoughts on football after my first season.

• it's actually not that bad.  while I still enjoy watching basketball more, football is way easy to watch.
• college football is WAY better than the NFL.  maybe this is a naive assessment being a newb and all, but pro football players are sloppy and poopy and boring.  College players look so much more into it, they play with all their heart and seem to love it so much more.  NFL players probably get paid too much money to care that much about the sport and it shows.  The games are not that fun.  Give me a college game over any gross NFL game any day. 
• I don't really understand all the rules.  Other sports are much easier to figure out.  I've been watching games consistently and (mostly) actively for 2 whole months every single weekend and I still don't get the calls most times.  Although, I am improving.  John actually just gave me a good compliment the other day when I was asking why the quarterback wasn't doing something and he said I "had good eyes" and he didn't mean they were just pretty or well placed on my face, he meant I picked up on something football-y!  SCORE.
• I'm ready for basketball season to start.  no, not that pro junk... college. duh.
• we pay professional athletes way too much money.  and we let college athletes get away with way too many things.  

... that's it for my football thoughts.  I hope John reads this and writes some kind of response.  I have a feeling he'll want to.

--R