Monday, February 08, 2010

Female football fan? It's true!

NFL: Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders

Ok, it doesn't have to be a dirty secret, but I don't jabber on about it either.  It's just a fact-- I don't hate football.

In fact, I like it!  I grew up watching it with my dad, and now I'm married to a big football fan.  It's good for us both-- we can watch together.  He knows the names and stats of all the players, and I can focus on the big picture, cheering for whoever has the ball.  I try to not choose sides because I can get so stupidly hyperventilatingly competitive.  So instead of primal screaming, I just Zen out and say "Whoever will win, will win" and let it go at that.

Sports are just fun.  The thing that I've lately really appreciated, that I think has always been a draw for my spouse and countless other sports fans, is that football is such a palate cleanser after politics.  Whoever gets the ball to the end zone gets the points.  Even doing it by a hair's breadth counts-- it's not like running it in full bore means you have "a mandate" (insert huge eyeroll).  And there are cameras and referees everywhere, watching for fairness.  It's not perfect, but it's good.

That's what politics needs!  Referees!  The Supreme Court totally doesn't count, by the way.  Our checks and balances need checks and balances.

According to this article in Forbes, there are 58 million female NFL fans, out of "138 million Americans who consider themselves NFL fans."  That's an impressive number, and one you'd expect to advertisers to notice.  And they have-- apparently, there's going to be a football maternity line at Pea in the Pod maternity clothing shops.