There was a nation-wide collective gasp a few days ago. You may not have heard it audibly but you may have sensed it as millions of NFL fans wives realized football is back.
By no means am I generalizing that all wives hate football. My darling wife is one who enjoys sports. The majority of wives, however, don’t look forward to the season. A wife told me once, “My 6 month home prison sentence is about to begin.”
As millions gasped in concern, millions like me were singing, “Tis the season to be jolly!”
So, I want to help those who feel like life has come to a sudden crash halt by helping you understand the mind of a football fan. I’ll do that by answering some common questions you may have.
Question: What is so appealing about big guys in uniforms and pads chasing a ball?
Answer: Nothing really! But we boys like big hits, taunting, crowds going crazy, and players rumbling, stumbling, mumbling, fumbling. It’s hard to explain.
Question: Isn’t fantasy football just make believe anyway?
Answer: It’s a great escape from the reality of life. Others turn to books or yoga or exercise or shopping as an escape. Some even hunt for Pokemon.
Fantasy footballers imagine owning a franchise of pro players. (IMPORTANT: never utter the words, “It’s only a game” to your sports fan. Them are fighting words! We’re serious about it.)
Question: Does God really care about football?
Answer: Ah, theology. Finally. I want to think that God likes the Miami Dolphins but honestly I’m not sure He cares about football in general. However, He does care about what we do. The Bible says,
“You know when I sit down and when I rise up [my entire life, everything I do]… You scrutinize my path and my lying down, And You are intimately acquainted with all my ways.” (Psalm 139:2-3, Amp)
In other words, God knows the details of our lives. That is a comforting thought!
The Lord is keenly aware of everything I do including my love for football, and He is ok with it. (Tweet that)
Question: Watching football is such a waste of time. Shouldn’t we be doing something else with our time?
Answer: To be honest, any tv watching (crime shows, the Kardashians, History channel shows) can be a waste of time if it keeps family members from communicating or interacting. If it’s true that the average American watches tv more than 5 hours a day, then watching football is no different than any other day.
So, how do you tackle your NFL woes?
First, make Sunday Fun Day for you. You can choose to completely detach yourself from your football craving mate or spend some of the time with him/her. Your company, even if for a short while, will be much appreciated. My wife browses internet sites, crochets scarves to send to our military abroad, or even take a nap while I’m in my fantasy zone. But at least she’s in the room with me.
Second, become an NFL fashionista. Have fun dressing your kids with team logo clothes. Also wear football jerseys, team logo t-shirts, and even team colors on your face. I understand that may be a little too extreme but your husband is going to see you and think you’re hotter than the wings he’s about to munch on.
Third, think of fun snack suppers to do with your football crew (family) on game nights.
Fourth, and most importantly, pray that God helps you with the long season ahead. He is able!
Fifth, ask questions about fantasy and the game. That starts a conversation and may even spark your interest in the game.
I realize I didn’t even mention college football but the same applies.
Don’t let this season eat you up inside. Do what you can to make it a positive experience.
What can you add to the list? Please leave me a comment.
I am a football fan and my favorite team is the Denver Broncos. This might sound corny, but one of the highlights of my life; a memory I will always cherish, was when both my wife and daughter sat down with me and watched Denver defeat the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII. This was especially meaningful because my wife just doesn’t like football, and yet she watched the entire game with me, knowing how strongly I felt about seeing Denver get its first super bowl victory.
And even though there were some non-football comments made about how cute some of the players’ anatomies looked, that didn’t matter. We all laughed, we cheered, we bonded. We had one of the best family times ever that evening!
You make an excellent point about spending time with your football fan!
All of us have different interests, but if we are willing to bridge the gap and get involved with what our wife or husband enjoys, we not only express our love for each other, we also, as Paul writes, show that we are willing to submit to each other.
Oh, and Jorge, God made the sky blue and most of His sunsets are orange. It might be a coincidence, but those just happen to be the colors of the Broncos………..just sayin’….LOL!
Hahaha…I lean towards coincidence!
Great blog and I love all of the tips!! Football is back so embrace the season and make it fun!
Amen to that!