Picture this: You’re sitting in front of the TV in a dorm room with all of your best guy friends. They grab the remote and the screen suddenly flickers to the channel that almost every American male adores: ESPN. The basketball game of the week is on, and the boys immediately turn into a slightly less intimidating version of Bobby Knight. You can’t tell for the life of you what the guys mean when they talk about running a motion offense, executing a pick and roll play, or making a clutch drive to the net. So you sit off in the corner alone, feeling dazed, bored, and exceptionally confused.
Admit it. We’ve all been in a similar situation where we’re watching a sporting event with the boys and have absolutely NO idea as to what’s going on (trust me, even I used to have my fair share of moments). However, if you want to make this experience more fun, as well as impress the men along the way, I’ve establish a list of important “Do’s and Don’ts” to take into account when having a game night with the bros.
DO: Research, Research, Research.
Guys like girls they can converse with about the game. Each game tends to have a preview article written about it in order to give readers a glance at what to expect in the matchup. Look on websites such as ESPN.com for a variety of articles like I mentioned. Know the key facts: Who’s the team’s star player? What’s their record? Does this upcoming matchup have any implications for playoffs or is it significant in any other way? Finding the answers to these questions will no doubt create a flow of conversation between you and the guys at the start of the game.
DON’T: Criticize the sport.
If you want to be invited back to hang out with the guys, don’t talk about how stupid and boring the game is. This is comparable to a guy telling you that they think Pretty Little Liars or The Vampire Diaries is lame and dumb. Would you want to hang out with him more after he tells you that? I know I wouldn’t!
DO: Familiarize yourself with the basic rules of the game.
Sports may look like they are incredibly complex to understand, and on certain levels, they really are. However, no one expects you to know every rule in the game (and if you do, congratulations because you definitely have a future calling for you as an official or a referee). As long as you know the basics of the game, you will be in pretty good shape. For example, know that in football there are two teams on the field. The team with the ball is trying to score by getting it into the end zone or through the goal posts. This is called “offense.” The other team is trying to stop them from doing so. This is called “defense.” If the first team scores or gets stopped for four plays in a row, the teams trade places and the other team has a chance to try and score.
DON’T: Try too hard to show that you know about the game.
If you know a lot about a particular sport or game, don’t try to constantly spit out random stats and other facts unless it’s to prove a point in a discussion. It makes you seem like your trying to show off, and no one likes a show off! Say the people you’re with think Johnny Manziel is deserving of a second-straight Heisman trophy. Just listing off a bunch of facts about him gets you nowhere, and you would be better off saying something along the lines of “well he has a lot of competition this season, especially with Jameis Winston.” Knowing information like this will show the guys that you really know what’s going on.
DO: Ask questions before the game and during commercial breaks.
Still not quite sure about something? Ask one of the guys! They love to act like they know everything about sports and would be delighted to explain to you why there was a foul on the play or why the official’s decision was a bad call. Avoid asking too many questions during the game though, as you don’t want to distract the guys from it and miss any important plays. They will NOT be happy with you when that happens.
DON’T: Talk during the whole game and act uninterested/unimpressed.
This is one of my major pet peeves. If you’re in a room watching a game, simply watch the game! No guy that is in the room gathered there wants to here you gossip or talk about how you need to go to the mall and buy a new outfit for this weekend. So if this is what you plan on doing, then don’t bother showing up. Watching a game with the boys is loads of fun when everyone is super into it, and having one person who genuinely seems uninterested can kill the mood. Don’t be THAT girl!
And there you have it! Now it’s time to round up the boys, plop yourself on a couch, pig out on some food and drinks, and get into the game!