Football 101 - A Girls Guide to Football - Whats In It For You

By: Jessica Hardwick

Can I tell you how tired I am of single women complaining abouthow hard it is to meet a decent man? The problem is not a dearthof quality men. In fact, I know quite a few single gems. Theproblem exists where the ladies are looking. You aren't going tofind the right man in a sleazy bar or pick-up joint. If you wanta man who values integrity, honor, and good sportsmanship, thenyou have go where the real men are. In the fall, that means yourlocal sports bar.

Football is the all-American game. If you can't get into thegame, you are shunning some of the best guys in town. Here youwill find men that truly believe in honor, both on and off thefield. Football players aren't stereotypical big dumb jocks.They have had to work incredibly hard to get where they are, andthere are no NFL players who haven't made a true commitment tothe game. The fans are equally committed to the game and theirteams. So much for the common complaint that "it's impossible tofind a man who can make a commitment"!

Personally, I'm hooked on the game itself. I love the strategy,the element of surprise, and the emotion (and I'm not terriblyopposed to cute butts in tight football pants, either). You mayor may not develop your own passion for the game, but you needto garner a basic understanding of how it works if you don'twant to come off like a fool. Guys can spot a fraud miles away,so it's better to admit your ignorance and ask questions, ratherthan try to pretend you know the game. Of course, this onlyworks for so long and you need to bone-up on football if youwant to hang with the boys. Start with the basics - you need toknow what teams are playing, and it really helps to have afavorite. I'm a tried-and-true Raiders fan myself, but theyaren't for the weak-hearted, being the only team in the NFL thathas to play against both the opposing team and theselectively-blind referees (personal quibbles aside, of course).If you don't have a favorite team in mind, you could simply gowith your hometown team. Be it the town you live in now, or theone from which you came. If that doesn't work for you, then youprobably come from Cincinnati or Cleveland, and should pick arandom team. I know women who made their selection based onwhich jersey color looked best on them, which logo they likedbest, or which team their despised ex-boyfriend hated the most.However, you make your selection, choose your team, and staywith them through the good times and the bad.

Start reading the sports page. You need to understand what isgoing on in the football world. At first, very little might makesense, but keep reading and you'll be surprised at how much youcan actually learn. For a high level overview, listen to thesports segment on your local network news. ESPN has a great website where you can always find the latest stats on all theteams. At the very least, try to know the latest disputed calls,injuries and controversies.

Get a good pal to tutor you in the basics of the game. Irecommend choosing a male friend, not boyfriend, who is apatient soul. Also, you are best learning from a taped game, sothat he already knows the outcome and won't mind stopping thetape to explain what just happened. I was totally anti-footballuntil a good friend sat me down with a taped game and a fewbrews. Thanks to his patience and understanding of the game I'mnow a regular Sunday inhabitant of the sports bar. Don't forgetto check among your gal pals; you may have a hidden football fanin your midst. The bonus is not just a great lesson, but also abuddy to join you in your foray into NFL Sundays at the sportsbar and football fandom!

I will also be following up with a series on the basics of myfavorite game.

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