We’re getting into the heart of football season, and I know that some of you are already looking forward to the Super Bowl. Not just because of the commercials, but because it means getting your weekends with your significant other back!
My husband is about as fanatical about football as they come. He watches college football every Saturday from the start of the noon game until the last West Coast game finishes in overtime. Sundays start at 1pm and go through the late game that night. Throw in Monday Night Football and the occasional Thursday night game, and sometimes it feels like football has taken over our lives.
Maybe it has.
But I know I’m not alone. Does this sound familiar to any of you?
One of my friends lamented to me about her significant other the yesterday, “I don’t know HOW he can watch football for 48 hours straight!”
I told her I’ve come up with a few coping mechanisms over the years – remember, my husband and I have known eachother for 18 years – and he’s been this way the entire time! I figured some of you might benefit from a few words of advice.
1) Get used to it.
Okay, this isn’t really a coping mechanism, but it is a reality check. My husband likes to say, “You knew the job was dangerous when you took it.” Meaning – you knew every weekend would be this way during football season. This is true.
If he watches football for 48 hours straight while you’re dating, he WILL still do that when you’re married.
Realize this works both ways. My husband knew I don’t cook or clean when he married me. He’s not going to change and neither am I. At some point, acceptance is a beautiful thing.
2) Schedule around the games.
Want to feel like you’re still getting time with your significant other during football season? Maximize the non-game times. These are Friday nights, Saturday mornings and Sunday mornings.
Maybe you two should plan on having a date night on Friday nights during football season. If there are things you want done around the house, plan to do them first thing on Saturday morning. And make Sunday morning something special – whether it be going to church or having a leisurely brunch together. If you schedule activities around the games, I promise you both will be much happier!
3) Get some skin in the game.
I only recently started putting this one into practice. Join a Fantasy Football league or a College Pick ‘Em pool. Don’t have any idea what either one is? That’s fine. You have to start somewhere. Why join one of these things if you have no idea what they are? You will actually have some reason to care about the outcome of the game.
I love football more than most women, but even I reach a state of football fatigue late Sunday afternoon. Knowing that the quarterback on my Fantasy Football team will be playing in the evening game makes watching it bearable. I have someone to cheer for, something to care about.
4) Create your own football tradition.
Figure out something to do during the football games that you look forward to doing. Maybe it’s trying a new recipe on Saturdays while he’s watching the games. Trust me, he will love sampling your latest creation while zoned out on the couch. (Not that I would know from personal experience – I don’t cook, remember?)
We have gotten into the habit of “Sunday Funday”. My husband and the Mini Athlete head off to a friend’s house on Sunday afternoons and that time is “my time”. I do whatever I want during that time with no guilt. I spent this past Sunday afternoon at the mall with my little sister. If you start claiming that time as “my time”, you might actually start looking forward to it. Trust me on this one.
5) When all else fails, let him watch the game.
You might remember me mentioning a while back that Verizon Wireless sent me their new HTC Droid Incredible 4G LTE to try out for a few months. I made the mistake of letting my husband borrow it one day since he doesn’t have a smart phone or GPS and needed the navigation tool. I’ve barely seen it since. He’s addicted.
Not only does he love the crazy fast 4G speed and the big screen, he loves being able to do this:
Yes, that is my husband watching a football game while the bride and groom cut the cake.
Sometimes, you just gotta let it go.
Do you have any tips for surviving football season?
Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Ambassador program and have been provided with a wireless device and three months of service in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.
thewannabeathlete@gmail.com
Pingback: How to Survive Football Season - thewannabeathlete - SE Ambassadors - VZW Monitor
I love this post! My boyfriend is a football fanatic and is definitely one to have the games playing on his phone when we are somewhere without access to a big screen
Just reading your post made me want to join a Fantasy Football League next year… thanks for the tips!
haha love this. I keep a five-year journal and last year, on the first day of college football, I wrote “Football season started, which means less Pat” about my bf.
Haha, comes around like clockwork, doesn’t it?
This is a really interesting post. You have great writing skills!
Ha, I’m on the other end of the spectrum, I looooove football, but my boyfriend likes the Eagles and I like the Giants (HUGE rivals), so the 2 times a year they play each other, it gets pretty hostile in our house! I also play fantasy with all my guy friends. I’m the only girl in my league and I do pretty well. I always hear people saying something about their wives or girlfriends joining their leagues, well my boyfriend joined MY league
I love that your boyfriend joined YOUR league! That’s great!
This is such a great post! I just met a boy I like who is very in to football, and I barely understand how the sport even works, haha! I sort of get it, and I’m pretty emotionally attached to the Detroit Lions (my dad’s team), so I’m working on understanding how much he likes it. I don’t think I’ll ever like football as much as I like baseball, but it’s a work in progress.
I hope these tips help!
ha! i LOVE this post. at least the iPhone is on during the cake cutting – my lovely husband has had the audacity to watch in church. ridiculous.
Oh my husband would have – he just had trouble logging in.
Just wanted to say that I love your blog! and your family is so adorable. Thanks for being an inspiration to other runners and wannabe athletes such as myself. Keep it up!
p.s I have a blog too over at i’d love for you to check it out sometime.
Wait so who cleans in your house? Your husband? Lucky. I hate to clean too but I get roped into it occasionally. Tell me your tips for dealing with that and then you’ve got my attention! I’ve even thought of hiring a housekeeper (for my apartment!)!
Thanks for writing this! As a 20 year wife I still have to adjust my attitude at times, and he doesn’t even watch college ball!
It is really good for women to be honest with each other but also to support healthy marriage. You have done that well. You appreciate your husband, which means you allow him his hobbies. It took me a loooong time to get there.
I grew up in a sports loving family, however when I met my husband it took it to a whole other level! Now Sunday’s one of our favorite days together, getting together with a group of friend to cheer on our team! We are always so sad when football season is over, but there’s always something going on with the sport; the combine, the draft, training camp. We keep up with it!
I say just let him watch. Men will be men. I also say it is a good time to star something that will keep you guys involve, so everybody is happy. You may as well settle in, this is just the beginning.
my husband and i both are in love with football. we spendour weekends together watching them! yesterday, i went to the msu/osu game with some girlfriends and he stayed home with the daughter! i generally cant stand when our friends wives/gfs dont like football and assume that i dont either and then want to TALK or something else annoying during the whole game.
Love your survival guide!! I am in deep …. hubby is a High School Coach also, so I’ve got Thursday JV and Friday Varsity……..I love when Dec rolls around….