Why I Love Football

If you think female football fans are a rarity, you should know women account for 44% of NFL fans, according to the league. One of those women is Laurie WJN. Football is one of the things that makes fall a avorite for her. Read more from Laurie on her blog, Looking on the Sunny Side.

Fall is here! I am so excited, and not just because I will soon be able to have pumpkin spice creamer in my morning coffee. Fall decorations, leaves with beautiful colors, the cooler temperatures (okay, in Arizona we are excited about any temperatures below 100 degrees), these are all fantastic reasons to be excited for the arrival of fall – but for me the best part of fall is the return of football season.

Whether it’s spending my Saturdays watching college games and cheering for my Arizona State Sun Devils, or Sundays with my hubby watching his precious Packers, football season is a special time in our house.

I know there are plenty of woman who don’t like football, but I LOVE it.

I love the excitement of the big play.   I love screaming about a blown call by the referee.   I love sharing special time with my husband doing something that is really important to him. Football is more than just a game to its fans. Football is a chance to be part of something special.

Wearing my Maroon & Gold, I am proud to show the world that I am part of the ASU Sun Devil Nation. I get the chance to cheer with my friends and celebrate my university. Going to the games with fellow alumni helps to keep me connected to my school. And most of all, it is fun. I love it! The games are loud, the student section is alive with energy and as I celebrate each victory, or even when I mourn their losses, I have something to enjoy and look forward to.

Despite the recent scandals of the NFL, I have to admit I still love spending my Sundays watching football, too.

My husband is a proud cheesehead. He is always happy to tell anyone how he owns part of the Packers organization, as a stockholder. Growing up in Green Bay, football might actually be encoded into his DNA. Everyone who spends any time with my husband is quickly convinced that he does indeed have green and gold flowing through his veins.

Spending our Sunday mornings at our favorite local sports bar is such a great experience. Each different table group is showing off their team colors with swagger and hurling good-natured insults at fans from opposing teams. There is just something about the atmosphere on a Sunday morning. There is camaraderie there. A sense of shared purpose that football fans enjoy.   As a well-known ad from television used to describe, football fans share ‘the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat’.

For 16 weekends (plus post season, culminating in the Superbowl) football adds so much fun to my life. Whether it’s college games or professional teams, football is a way to be part of something, it’s a way to be connected to other fans across the country. It’s a uniquely American experience, and it is something I really love.