Football and Sex

Yes, those are two of my favorite subjects.

That's right, I'm a football fan-- college football to be exact.

So what? Well, our team has a big game this weekend against the team that beat us last year by one point--ONE point-- in the last three seconds-- THREE seconds. We're out for blood. And we (hubby, Ruckus and I) are gonna be there. Almost everyone we know is going to be there, actually. And those who aren't there will be watching on TV. Tickets are selling for almost $200 each (yes, of course I thought about selling our four tickets... for about thirty seconds. There's no way I'm missing this game, are you nuts?)

Okay, *fan* might not be the right word.

It's a way of life here. It’s even kind of… okay, a sickness. And it’s not just me. It’s my husband, son, my family, our friends, my in-laws…

I’m not kidding. We all cheer for the same team too. I grew up in a house where my mom not only knew more about football than my dad but could swear and scream better than he could. I grew up in a family where Saturdays in the fall were sacred. Still are. You simply don’t schedule other stuff to go on during game time.

And when that commandment is broken… drastic measures are taken. For instance, one of my husband’s nieces decided to get married. On a football Saturday. On a home game day. The horror!

To keep her six uncles from abandoning the reception for the game, they set up a big screen TV at the reception hall.

Seriously.

I know you’re thinking that’s pretty pathetic. And you might be right. Then again, this is a part of our culture. It bonds us. If you can't think of anything else to say at Thanksgiving dinner, football will *always* get the conversation going. Most of our friends cheer for this team too and those who don't-- well, we simply don't see them between the season opener and the bowl game. Once basketball season starts we don't care as much.

Tailgating, road trips to away games, all-night celebrations of championships… all have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. It’s a part of our life. (I mean, you know it’s a big topic of conversation at our house when a thirteen-year-old girl who couldn’t care less about anything having to do with sports actually knows what an I-back is and does--in spite of herself).

But it shouldn’t surprise anyone that I love football. After all, football and romantic fiction aren’t really that different.

For instance, a football championship game is much like a wedding:
There’s a lot of hype leading up to the big day.
Everyone has something special to wear.
Drinking and partying commence right afterward.
Months of planning come down to just a few hours.
And in the end, it’s all about scoring.