Okay, so I have to admit, this year in football for me was awful. It almost made me reconsider why I put myself through watching professional football when my heart is continually torn to pieces by these games.
First of all, I am a Houston Texans fan. Yes, as in the team with the “worst record in the entire NFL this year” Houston Texans. This terrible season was not only a season full of bad plays and countless interceptions, but also being forced to go to our third string quarterback. He had never played a NFL game in his career, but was somehow better than our first string quarterback, which really says something about our first string. Along with the players dropping like flies as the season went along, so did the coaching staff as a result of the impressive losing streak the Texans had going on. Basically, to sum it all up, it was a hot mess of a season. But, we get first pick in the NFL draft for new players next season, so all the other teams better watch out.
Photo credit via truschoolsports.com
However, my NFL season was not completely over. I still had my other team to back me up, the Green Bay Packers. I grew up along the Illinois-Wisconsin state line, where NFL loyalty and rivalry runs deep between the Green Bay Packers of Wisconsin and the Chicago Bears of Illinois— as well as occasionally the Minnesota Vikings, but they’re so bad it’s almost a joke (just not as bad as my Texans). Being raised by a Green Bay Packers fan and a Minnesota Vikings fan means you are in no way allowed to like the Chicago Bears, or else you will be disowned from the family. No, really, I am being completely serious. Disowned.
Some say I was brainwashed by my mother as I did grow up a Packers fan, but most importantly, by being raised by both parents, I was always an anti-Bears fan. Any team that is playing the Bears, I am their biggest fan that day. The Packers chance in the playoffs this year came down to a rival game against the Chicago Bears. I happened to be home for this game and let me tell you, it was intense. The entire week I’m pretty sure no one was allowed to talk about anything except the game. Everywhere I walked there was a sea of NFL jerseys and game-face glares. Anyway, my Packers did end up winning, so all was good in the world of Packers fans and I was stoked I still had a team to cheer for. The following week, our dreams were crushed by the evil San Francisco 49ers, which honestly was not that shocking, but us Packers fans had hope.
So I guess so far I’m not very convincing of why I am a sports fan or why any of you should be. The real point of my ranting is to show the passion NFL fans get during the season. It’s a wild ride of emotions and you get caught up in it, but it’s a blast. At the beginning of the season I flew down to Dallas to see the Texans vs Cowboys at the infamous Cowboys Stadium. I had on my Texans jersey from the second I woke up in Lawrence to the night after the game in Dallas. I got an incredible amount of high-fives (and some booing from the Dallas fans), but the amount of people it brings together is just absolutely insane. After the Texans win, all of us Texans fans that had never met became best friends instantly. It bonds people and this is one of the only times it’s acceptable to receive hugs from thousands of complete strangers without it being horrifyingly creepy. Also, it’s one of the few times its acceptable to go out in public with your team colors in glitter paint on your face without looking straight up crazy.
If this still doesn’t convince you, I want to share a point my mom has always said: “Every girl should like football because it’s a bunch of attractive guys running around in tight pants.” Really, sports aside, the players are not too bad to look at.
Honestly, I think football in all its aspects are made for female viewers. As girls, we have a lot of passion, and the passion from football fans is what the NFL thrives on. For game days, it’s like getting ready to go out. It’s super fun. They even make pink glitter jerseys for every team’s fans to support their team in fashion. The game itself is just fun to watch regardless of your level of understanding of the game, and who is going to turn down watching some good eye candy? Really, this sport was made for us.
Photo credit via espn.go.com