College Football: The Woman's Perspective

Growing up my Dad would turn on an occasional football game. I remember passing through the room watching for a few minters, wondering what in the world was going on and thinking it was the most boring sport ever. I would have rather watched Star Trek with him, only the Next Generation though, even at that age I could appreciate that there was something sexy about JeanLuc Picard.

Then I came to those wonderful awkward and horrific junior high years. Not only were all of our bodies changing in all sorts of ways and at different times but we got to parade this to each other during mandatory showers in the gym locker room. During those years of torture, we played flag football. We had to learn the rules, even had a written test on them and then we got to play. Well, I was fast and when you can score a touch down pretty much every time you touch the ball, it makes football pretty fun.

In high school I went to every single home football game....with the band. I am not sure of how much of the games I watched, way too busy talking with my friends and playing my flute-probably in that order too. We were really just there so we could perform at halftime, it was good practice for our upcoming competitions. But when you are there with the crowd you can't help but occasionally get caught up in the excitement.

College time-a new freshmen, trying to make friends, figure out my place- everyone I knew was going to go get season football tickets, so I was in. While we were waiting in the three hour line, someone came by and said if we joined Superfans for $15, not only would we get a T-shirt, but we would not have to wait in the super long line- I was now a Superfan.

Why do I tell these stories? All of these memories had an interesting result... I like football. Check that- I LOVE college football.I love watching the games, I love listening to the pre game chatter, I even read articles about the games during the week.

You still there? Hopefully you didn't run away in disgust or confusion.

Many of you may feel more like Glamazon- jealous of the love the man in your life has for the sport. Others may be completely oblivious to the fact that it is football season. And well maybe and hopefully there are a few of you in my camp.

So for those who may not be quite as passionate as me, I want to help enlighten you to why some of us get so passionate about a little game called football. (and I must confess this is my husband's theory-but I think he is on to something so am totally stealing it)

Football is unique in the sports world. In major league baseball they play 162 games in a season meeting up with the same opponent several times, basketball- about 82. In college football there are on average 12 games a season. Just 12. You will only play each team one time. The big rival team that you really want to beat-only one matchup..you lose to them and you will hear about it for an entire year. You and the team have an entire week, sometimes two, to prepare for one game, one opponent, one group of people that you want to smack the living day lights out of. So there is time, time to worry, time to get excited, time to prepare and plan for that specific game..it is exciting. Each game is so important as you only have 12 games to define your entire season.

It is exciting and I am totally caught up in it. I love it and my husband loves that I love it.

Still can't get into the football excitement? Well then take this fact to heart, how many other sports can you see a bunch of really buff athletic guys wearing really tight pants?

Football time! Go Cougars!