I had no idea at the time that I began this post that CBS would boldly pit Thursday Night Football against ABC’s Scandal, one of THE most-watched shows by female TV viewers.

Daring move for the NFL and the network though and so far it’s panning out for them.

I actually decided to write this in late August, after overhearing the following conversation in my local supermarket. I decided to publish it here, as I continue to hear similar comments being made.

Woman #1 – “Can you believe how fast the summer is passing by?”
Woman#2 – “I know. It’s unbelievable and sad.”
Woman #1 – Sad? How so?
Woman # 2– “Before you know it, the kids will be back in school, and although they can be pains in the @$$, I will really miss them.”
Woman # 1 – “No honey, what’s sad is that the end of summer means the beginning of football and females and football just don’t mix!”

Wow! Now that conversation left me scratching my head and wondering exactly from under what rock did these two women crawl.

You see, I am a diehard sports fan.

Admittedly, my schedule doesn’t afford me the luxury of following every game and knowing every stat, something I once upon a time aspired to do. However, without question I am excited to begin a new season of football and participate in the ongoing trash talking that occurs in my home and elsewhere.

Following the Richard Sherman “controversy” that nearly stole the spotlight from last year’s Super Bowl celebration, I can only imagine what excitement will come with the new season, leading up to a trip to Glendale, Arizona next February.

In the meantime, I gave some thought as to why football may not be of interest to some women and I also polled a few others who fell into that, “It’s just not my cup of tea” category.

Based on this very unscientific research, I have compiled the responses and present to you the following:

Five Reasons Why Some Women Don’t Follow Football:

1) They’d rather go shopping, to the spa, etc. or anywhere else other than to the game! (Check this football fashion page out!)

2) They hate not just football, but ALL sports.

3) It’s too violent.

4) Soccer is their definition of football.

5) They just don’t understand the game.

Ding! Ding! Ding! #5 was THE most popular reason given.

Don’t get me wrong; I do understand the disdain that some women have for football and in some cases for sports in general. While there are likely many other reasons for this rejection, a larger number of them have a dislike for the sport, simply because they don’t understand it. Not because they are ignorant of course, but because they may lack basic knowledge of the fundamentals of the game.

It has been said that humans often reject the unknown, because of the fear and intimidation of the unfamiliar. Therefore, without a patient and knowledgeable teacher to present them with a clear understanding of the game, or a willingness to independently seek the necessary knowledge themselves, many women will simply forgo participation in the coveted autumn Sunday afternoon ritual and secretly curse the unnamed jersey-wearing football gods.

In an effort to possibly win over a few more female fans this season, I have taken the liberty of providing those with a desire to learn, a few starter tidbits:

DOWN TO BASICS:

1) During each American football game, there will always be two opposing teams. When the two teams meet on the field, the position that an individual will play, will depend on whether the team is playing offense or defense. The game of football pits the offense, (the team with the ball), against the defense, (the team without the ball) which tries to prevent the offense from scoring. Each side lines up on the field facing the other with the football in the middle. Simple, right? If not, review it until clicks. This is just you and me talking.

2) Three key players on the OFFENSIVE side of the ball include the following:

• Quarterback: The leader of the team. He calls the plays in the huddle, yells the signals at the line of scrimmage, and receives the ball from the center. Then he hands off the ball to a running back, throws it to a receiver, or runs with it. (Drew Brees -Saints)
• Running back: A player who runs with the football. Running backs are also referred to as tailbacks, halfbacks, and rushers.(DeMarco Murray -Cowboys)
• Wide receiver: A player who uses his speed and quickness to elude defenders and catch the football. Teams use as many as two to four wide receivers on every play. (Antonio Brown – Steelers)

3) Three key players on the DEFENSIVE side of the ball include the following:

• Defensive tackle: The inner two members of the defensive line, whose jobs are to maintain their positions in order to stop a running play or run through a gap in the offensive line to pressure the quarterback or disrupt the backfield formation.(Marcell Dareus – Buffalo)
• Defensive end: The outer two members of the defensive line. Generally, their jobs are to overcome offensive blocking and meet in the backfield, where they combine to tackle the quarterback or ball carrier. On running plays to the outside, they’re responsible for forcing the ball carrier either out of bounds or toward (into) the pursuit of their defensive teammates. (DeMarcus Ware – Broncos)
• Linebacker: These players line up behind the defensive linemen and generally are regarded as the team’s best tacklers. Depending on the formation, most teams employ either three or four linebackers on every play. Linebackers often have the dual role of defending the run and the pass. (Ryan Kerrigan – Redskins)

4) American Football Terms and Definitions

To understand and enjoy American football, get familiar with key terms and what they mean. Until you grasp basic football lingo, listening to announcers call a football game can be like listening to gibberish.

The following three terms are a MUST if you are to have any chance of staying tuned in during a game:

• Touchdown: A score, worth six points, that occurs when a player in possession of the ball crosses the plane of the opponent’s goal line, when a player catches the ball while in the opponent’s end zone, or when a defensive player recovers a loose ball in the opponent’s end zone.
• Down: A period of action that starts when the ball is put into play and ends when the ball is ruled dead (meaning the play is completed). The offense gets four downs to advance the ball 10 yards. If it fails to do so, it must surrender the ball to the opponent, usually by punting on the fourth down.
• Field goal: A kick, worth three points, that can be attempted from anywhere on the field but is usually attempted within 40 yards of the goalpost. Like an extra point, a kick must sail above the crossbar and between the uprights of the goalpost to be ruled good.

.
5) A Few Player Names To Know For The 2014 Season Are:

• Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Richard Sherman, Cam Newton, Patrick Peterson, Tony Romo, Calvin Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Colin Kaepernick, and Johnny Manziel.

Side note: With Johnny and LeBron both in Cleveland, many of their fans think their city is the hub of sports now. We will continue to let them think that. C’mon, it’s a JOKE, Cleveland fans! I can’t limit my jokes to just Jets fans!

Ladies, these are just a few fun facts that should get you started on the road to understanding (and hopefully enjoying) the game of football. There are many more tidbits to conquer, and this book , from which the above information is referenced, is an EXCELLENT source (please don’t be offended by the title):
Long, Howie, and John Czarnecki. “Football For Dummies (USA Edition).” Cheat Sheet. Dummies Inc., June 2011. Web. 11 Aug. 2014.
If I had my way, I’d rename it: Females And Football Don’t Mix: A Woman’s Guide To Football.

Keep in mind that if you’re in the market for a new love interest, long or short term, rumor has it that some sports bars during football season are a perfect place to find one.

Knowing a little something about the game on the screen certainly couldn’t hurt, and there is often some eye candy on the field as well. Most guys who love football also are impressed by a woman who knows that the art of the slam dunk and double dribble DO NOT belong with football and that Art Monk is NOT a type of fish entrée.

Gentlemen, if a woman approaches you seriously about learning the game, remember this – REAL MEN HAVE THE PATIENCE TO ENLIGHTEN HER – and not because they think there’s a reward at the end of the conversation! Capiche? Comprende? Comprendre?

In any language, please help HER to understand.
In the end, it’s a woman’s prerogative to like the game or not, to watch a game or skip it. If Lord and Taylor is where she’d rather be, let her be. Of course, if she’s interested in shopping for some sports attire, do stop here for some ideas!

Ladies, if your choice is to remain disengaged, at a minimum, while the rest of us fans are engrossed in the act of screaming at wide screens and using language that would make any mother proud (probably NOT), feel free to hate the game, but just don’t interfere with its spectators.
Oh and don’t forget to pick up a large calendar, a nice fat marker and begin marking off the days until February 1, 2015. If you choose not to be engaged, it’s gonna be a long wait on the sideline, sister.

To all my seasoned football fans, male and female, feel free to leave any additional tips below!

Thanks in advance and of course I have one question for you, “LADIES (and gents), ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!?

 

Ladies, if I still  haven’t convinced you and you aren’t in the mood to go shopping, how about picking up a good book?

 

0