Football

I thought that pre-season would never get here!  But then, I think that every year from the minute the Super Bowl is over until August arrives.  It's not just that I absolutely LOVE football but, I realized this year that, once it started, I'd know what to do with any empty nest free time on the weekends and Monday night!  There would be no interruptions.  No one would need help with homework or a paper. No one would have a practice or rehearsal to attend.  No one would be there to interrupt the games--maybe I had finally discovered one positive thing about having an empty nest--hubby and I could not only watch the games uninterrupted, but we could use adult language if we so desired.  And not just the games--there are the sports writers and the sports shows that give all the highlights about my team (Carolina Panthers) and all the games I might have missed.  I love football speculations, football excitement, football food, football season, football gatherings, football debates, football fans, football everything!  I have even mustered the courage to comment on the Panthers facebook wall a couple of times.  While I do enjoy college football on Saturdays (I love Ohio State and, closer to home, the Tarheels), the NFL is my favorite.  Of course, it is easy to catch me watching a game regardless of which two teams are on the field- unless the score is something like 49 to 6 in the first half.

It's not just the watching, the food, and the smells of autumn that I love about the sport.  It's the venting.  What a release to be able to sit there and yell at my team or their opponents and, especially, the referees.  Most of the time I want to go out on the field--very difficult to do from one's living room--and take the whistle away from the officials or sew those darn flags to their pockets.  I'm not one of those fans who can analyze each and every play.  I can't even tell you what play the offense just ran (unless it was from the shotgun, a flea flicker, or a Hail Mary) or the reason for the penalty flag on the play (unless it's obvious like holding or false start or something equally noticeable but, for the life of me I do not see where it's pass interference at least 85% of the time...I swear that call is discretionary).  It is rather odd that I have such a limited understanding of plays and penalties considering that I spent Sundays while growing up watching football on television (my team back then was the Cowboys--and I'm still a closet fan of them now) and my brother (still a Miami fan) was a linebacker on our high school team (and would have played college ball had he not decided to join the Navy).  But, I do love football and it IS so very cathartic to get all those frustrations out from the week before by yelling at the games.  Understand, though, that no one else is allowed to bellow at my guys like I do!

Finally, the first regular season game time arrived AND--we lost.  All fears aside because week two was just around the corner AND--we lost.  Still not giving up. I eagerly awaited the arrival of week three AND--we lost.  Again.    No worries.  There is still an entire season left to enjoy all the incredible elements of football and I won't miss a single minute of it--win or lose!