Football Widow

Sports Widow Tips: Football Survival

August 13, 2007 10:51 AM | 5 Comments

It's hard to believe that it's early August and that pre-season NFL football has already begun. It's a grim reality for Football Widows throughout the country. But it doesn't have to be.

My roots as a Sports Widow began with being a young Football Widow. In the 1960s and 70s football was dominated by male fans, and my Dad, stepfather and all of their cronies were no exception. Living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, football meant the Green Bay Packers and the University of Wisconsin Badgers, but mostly the Green Bay Packers. This was before there were more than three TV channels and the World Wide Web. Today's Football Widows compete with more than Monday Night Football, they contend with Saturday, Sunday, Monday night, and Thursday night football, and 24/7 commentary on television, in newspapers and on the web. They also compete with Fantasy Football Leagues and Madden '08 video games that can be played on-demand, online or via X-Box 360, PlayStation 3, Game Cube, etc.

Football season can make you feel sidelined, but here are some ways you can take charge of the situation.

Remember, you're not alone. Take solace in knowing that there are millions of Football Widows just like you.
Put it on the schedule. Since I don't read the Sports Page or consult ESPN.com, I'm not aware of when games are being played, televised or airing on the radio, so I can easily get hijacked and wind up unwillingly listening to them in the car or watching them on an aerial TV at a restaurant. During your weekly planning chats, find out when key games are so you can plan accordingly.
Find some commonality. I love movies and cooking. While I may not know much about football, I can get enthusiastic about planning a meal or watching a football-related movie that has a real plot and frequently a love story. A good source for barbecue ideas for tailgates and menu ideas is foodnetwork.com. In the Sports Widow Resources section, you can get some movie ideas, too.
Find alternative programming for yourself. Once you know when games are being played you can decide whether or not you want to stick around. If you don't want to watch, make a date with friends to catch a movie, tour a museum exhibit or grab some quiet time.
Request Equity. If you have children who require supervision during the game or aren't old enough to be included as spectators, you should request an equal amount of time indulging in one of your interests sans children.
Go back to school. It's never too late to learn some of the basics of a sport. I recommend
The Smart Girl's Guide to Sports: A Hip Handbook for Women Who Don't Know a Slam Dunk from a Grand Slam by Liz Hartman Musiker. It won't overwhelm you and supplies just enough information to get started. In this same vein, occasionally, I like to shock/impress my fan with newfound sports knowledge. A good place to find quick highlights is The Female Fan or in Betsy Berns book: The Female Fan Guide to Pro Football: With a Special Section on the College Football National Championship! (Female Fan Guide Series)
Find your inner anthropologist. Sports fandom is a subculture. If you think of yourself as an adventurer, notebook in hand, who is studying the language, music, customs, clothing and rites of passage of a faraway culture, you may find it illuminating and amusing.
When you have questions, kids are your best consultants.When I ask grown-up fans about rules and sports basics, I exasperate them, but my 9-year-old son has the patience of Job. He is more than willing to help me understand and doesn't judge me or mock my ignorance.

Do something whacky. A couple of years ago, I kicked off football season with my kids wearing Cheeseheads during a layover in the Minnesota airport. These were actually signed by Ralph Bruno, founder of cheeseheads. I wish we had inserted cameras in the cheeseheads and called them Cheesecams, because we received some lively commentary from passing Viking fans. Construct a sign, yell your lungs out for your team, wear your team's equivalent of a cheesehead, but no matter what you do, don't resort to wearing matching T-shirts or sweatshirts. In my opinion, that's too much togetherness.

Do you have any other tips for football widows???


For more Football Widow tips for surviving the football season checkout the Daily Cafe on Retirement Living TV. Mark your calendars, Super Bowl XLII is scheduled for Feb. 2, 2008...followed by the ProBowl on Feb. 10. Then we can all relax till pre-season starts again in August.

The Sports Widow
(aka Nan Hall)