6 Ways Not To Lose A Guy During Football Season

I am a girl who loves her football because of many reasons (none being the tight uniforms). To name a few, there’s greasy food, heavy quantities of beer, and the privilege to yell at your TV without judgment. Needless to say I’ve been wetting my lips and readying my calendar since February. Unfortunately, not every female shares the same love I have for the sport and boyfriends everywhere are suffering under their grip.

It’s not easy dating a die-hard football fan, but if you can’t respect the quality time between your boyfriend and their favorite pass time then your chances of making it to New Year’s, let alone Valentine’s Day, might be fleeting. Your relationship and football do not have to be segregated by passive aggression. If you understand the concept of compromise then you know that his asking for a minimum 3 days a week to bro out isn’t the end of the world. There are ways to embrace the football so consider these tips or suffer under the dog pile of his burgeoning disdain.

1. Being present is not a present.

There are many factors that lend to male aggression on game days, so your constant, “when is it going to be over” and, “let’s go do something fun,” comments are only going to poke the beast. You may think it looks like you’re doing the good girlfriend diligence by agreeing to hang out, but your downer attitude is practically steaming off your body. Are you trying to test his patience or do you sincerely think that badgering him is going to get him to do what you want? You’d be pissy if he ruined your Bangerz tour experience with a heart full of angst so if you’re going to choose to hang around, try to pretend to be happy about it/keep yourself quietly occupied.

2. Learn the fundamentals of the game.

How do you expect to get invested in something if you know nothing about it? You ask him to remember all the names of the Vampire Diaries cast because God forbid his questions about the plot deter you from hearing dialogue. So do him the courtesy of hushing your mindless questions every play. The very least you could do is learn the basic rules of the game so your questions are well formed instead of nuisances. You don’t need to know every player’s name, but no harm learning how many points are in a touchdown right? Who knows, maybe you’ll get into it? Win-win for everyone! Regardless, he’ll appreciate the fact that you celebrated and agonized at the same time as him. Perhaps then he’ll be more inclined to remember the names of your favorite teen drama stars.

3. Consider his time your free time.

Maintaining independence is a must in a healthy relationship and there is no better time to test that theory than Monday, Thursday and Sunday of this season. Welcome these free evenings and days with open arms. Yes it may suck to have a distant boyfriend for a few hours, but on the bright side you have all this extra time to enjoy all your guilty pleasures and feminine ways you try to keep him from. Be mindful that your heavy thumbs on your phone are just as distracting as your physical presence. Your goal should be to prove to him and yourself that you can enjoy your personal time without ruining his. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, so just picture how passionate your reunion will be on those off days (even more so if his teams win).

4. Find solace in other jilted girlfriends.

Football is as much a team sport as it is a group event. The guy to girl ratio may be slim, but there will always be company that will want to revel in the misery together. Learn to befriend these girlfriends and do as they do. Even if it means making the snacks you at least get to enjoy a real conversation with someone who isn’t cramming lays into their mouth. It’s much better to look like you’re part of the group in some facet than to sit on the sidelines pouting.

5. Join a Fantasy League.

If your guy is crazy about FF he probably has more than one league and I’m sure he can suggest which is the least stressful. Since FF is not an exact science you can easily pick players based on their looks and probably end up winning the season. Not to mention you’ll probably want to prep like the diligent and organized lady you are meaning bonus hangout time for you two! You can spend hours asking him questions about stats why so-and-so is the better pick. His immense manly knowledge will probably turn you on and he’ll be equally pleased with your gaining interest.

6. Become a fan girl.

If you can join the Laker’s bandwagon why not try hopping on your beau’s hometown team? A quick purchase of the quarterback’s jersey can go a long way in his book. Not only are you saying you are happy to be involved, but now he won’t look like the only guy rooting for the Buccaneers in a Seahawks bar. Plus you’d be surprised how much more you get into rooting for a team when you’re in uniform.