Touchdown! First down! Pass interference!

I’ve heard these words my entire life. Both my parents, each of their fathers and now my sister, husband and father-in-law say them. Even I am saying them now.

For a long time, I hated football. I didn’t understand it and no one would explain it as the NFL game was on so I could see what they meant. I’d call the games modern day gladiator fights. My husband also watches arena football. His favorite NFL player, Kurt Warner, actually started in arena football. I went to a couple games with my husband and father-in-law. Hated it. I’d start seeing red when drunk men would fearlessly yell vulgar slurs and personal insults at players simply for being on the other team. Some bought seats by the visiting teams benches just to verbally assault and demean whoever their team was up against that game. I never thought of any of them as much of a mastermind and still hope karma comes home for them.

The NFL actually is a part of me and my husband’s love story. It’s a moment I remember all too well. When we were dating, he was watching a game and I was next to him, bored by the game and wanting to spend time with him. Something on screen happened and my now-husband and his father reacted in a way that piqued my interest. I asked a question to understand why. My husband turned away from watching the game and gave me his full attention as he answered. I had expected to be ignored or told I would be answered later. This showed me that this guy I was dating was a keeper. Then, for our wedding, my two little brothers were the ring bearers and wore football jerseys from the bride and groom’s respective teams and walked down the aisle holding footballs. I wasn’t really a football fan yet though. I just wanted to have fun at my wedding. 

Every year, my husband and I host a Super Bowl party. Even before I was a football fan, I loved the community the Super Bowl creates through the game itself, the commercials, the halftime show and the food. But last year, that all changed.

Are you ready for it…?

Super Bowl LVII where the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles faced off to see who would win the reputation of being the best team in the NFL was part of what really hooked me into football. The Kelce brothers playing on opposite teams felt like I was watching a feature film before it was made. I also love getting to watch and talk football with my little sister and my husband. If I FaceTime her during a game, she and my husband will start talking and I won’t have a phone till I take it back or the phone dies. 

In September 2023, my sister and I went to the Seahawks first home game of the season. It was against the Los Angeles Rams, which is my husband’s team, so I was especially hopeful I’d get to see my team beat the Rams live and torment my husband about it when I got home. Unfortunately the Seahawks didn’t win but I adored being there. And thankfully my husband was a gracious winner and didn’t gloat when I got home.

I’m also a Swiftie (can you find the easter eggs in this??), so when Taylor Swift started being seen with, and then officially started dating Travis Kelce, I was even more into watching football; especially the Chiefs games. Getting to explain to my husband the references to Swift that show up during the games makes my day. It’s fun to get to explain something to him after all these years of him answering my questions about football that will continue to keep coming for evermore.

The more I watch, the more I come to appreciate the strategy and physical prowess of the game. AND I’m slowly getting the language right! Although, I don’t always get it right. I’m excited to learn more and watch more as time goes on.