6 Dos And Don’ts For Women Who Just Want To Survive Football Season

It’s that time of year again ladies…football season is creeping up on us and will be here in no time. For some of you girls, that means absolutely nothing to you. However, to the rest of us, we know exactly what football season means. For a few months every year, we lose our guys to the other love of their life. Gone are the days of Sunday brunches and long romantic walks in the park. Instead, our Sundays consist of beer, boys, and balls. For any of you girls that are dating a football fanatic, you know good and well there’s not much you can do to change this. So hey, if ya can’t beat em…join em! I’ve come up with a list of some “Do’s and Dont’s,” that have helped me embrace football season and actually have a good time in the process! I can’t guarantee you’ll love football by doing these things, but they might lead you to enjoying it more than you did before.

1. DO: Join a fantasy football league

The greatest thing I ever did to get me through football season was join a fantasy football league. If your man is anything like mine, that means he’s probably in about five different fantasy football leagues. Why does that matter to you? It matters because for him, every single football game matters. Let me repeat that…every.single.game.matters. Instead of your guy going out and watching his team play one game, your man needs to watch Thursday night, Sunday all day, and Monday night, to keep up with all his players and all the points he’s getting. I knew I was going to have to suffer through a lot of those games, so when I was invited to join a fantasy league at work, I jumped at the opportunity. I joined it for myself, not expecting my boyfriend to really care. However, when I told him I joined a league at work…he was ecstatic! He helped me with everything, explaining it all as we went along. From the draft, to organizing my roster, and giving me suggestions on players I should trade, he was there to help me every step of the way. I actually ended up winning that first week match up, which made me even more into it the second week. Now, I wanted to watch all the games to keep up with my players. I was as invested in it as much as my guy was. That Sunday night football game now mattered to me because the Bears were playing, I had Cutler as my quarterback, and I needed him to put up at least 25 points to get me ahead of my co-worker that week. Joining a fantasy league kept me into the games the entire season. And if you’re competitive in any way, it’s right up your alley.

2. DON’T: Join a league EXPECTING your man to help you with everything

It’s actually pretty easy to do it by yourself and your guy might not want to have to worry about another league…and that’s ok! You can join a league with your friends or co-workers, and there’s even leagues on websites like Yahoo that you can join. Even if you have no idea who you should draft for your team, no worries, there’s an auto draft option that can do all of that for you. If you’re really invested (which makes it way more fun), you’ll have to keep up with it and set your roster every week. Some teams will have a bye week, which means they don’t play that week. There’s nothing worse than having your best player in, only to find out he’s not playing that week. Go into with the mindset that you can do it on your own, and any extra help you get from your guy is an added bonus.

3. DO: Pick a team for yourself.

Having a team to root for will get you into football for at least one game every week. Being from Louisiana, I can’t be anything but a Saints fan. It wasn’t until the last few years that they’ve actually been decent, so that makes watching the games way more exciting. Now living in Texas, I’m surrounded by Cowboys and Texans fans, so I stick out like a sore thumb. But it’s awesome being out at a crowded bar, the only one reppin your team, and they actually win! Plus, once you decide on a team, that means shopping time. Get some gear and wear it loud and proud. I’m always surprised at the selection of women’s NFL gear. There’s some cute stuff out there ladies. Grab a shirt, a hoodie, or maybe even a jersey.

4. DON’T: Pick a team just because your man likes them.

If you just so happen to like the same team as your guy, than great! Life will be smooth sailing for y’all. Although it’s not always the easiest route, liking a different team than your man shows that y’all are individuals. My boyfriend happened to be a die-hard Cowboys fan, and with me being from New Orleans….that was not gonna happen. If both teams lose that week, then y’all can be pissed off together. But if only one team loses, then only one of you pissed off. Fingers crossed it won’t be your team that loses. You could even try making bets on your teams to make it more competitive. But a little side note, if you do happen to like a different team than your guy…don’t overdo the trash talk. Talking too much shit will just lead to arguments, with facts and statistics being thrown in your face, and you’ll just end up resenting each other. So take it from someone that’s been there, don’t overdo it. It’s not worth it.

5. DO: Pick a spot to watch the games.

If you’re anything like me, you enjoy being around people and will want to go out to watch big games. My city is really into football and there are certain restaurants/bars that are designated “team” spots, where all the fans can go to watch the games together. Do some research and you may find the same type of thing in your area. It’s a great time, being surrounded by a crowd of people, all rooting for the same team. Not to mention a ton of free shots going around when your team wins. Or maybe you like hosting parties at your place. Have your man invite his friends and their significant others, invite your friends, and have them all over. Chances are the girlfriends and wives will enjoy being included. Plus, it’s a fun way to get to know them better.

6. DON’T: Make your man watch every single game with you.

He may still want to go out with his friends to watch some games without you. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Some of my girlfriends got into football, so occasionally, we’d go out on our own and watch some games. All of the sudden, I was the one getting texts from my guy, asking when I’d be home. Spending time apart actually helped us to be better friends to each other, respecting each other’s time a part.

So there you have it, just a few suggestions that might help you this football season. The biggest tip I can give you is to try and have as much fun as you can. I found that the more I put into it, the more I got out of it. I had a blast last year and am really looking forward to football season this year. I realize that football may not be for everyone…but a little effort goes a long way. So try one, or maybe even all of these suggestions, and see if you notice a difference. Who knows, you might even come out of it an actual fan!