Women and Football

This is the first of what I hope to be many interesting and informative blogs about America's favorite sport. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of articles and blogs about football, but mine will be different. I want to write mine to entertain and educate women. I know it is a generalization, but I don't think women care much about statistics. We aren't into forming fantasy leagues, gambling on outcomes, arguing over the water cooler, or painting our faces in team colors. Our enthusiasm is for the emotion of the game, the stories behind the victories and losses, the sheer joy of winning and the gutwrench of losing. Most of us aren't going to listen to sportstalk radio (although I have my Sirius unit set constantly to the NFL station), and most of us aren't going to study the offensive and defensive schemes of the various teams so we can win the football pool at work. No, I think we women don't care much about all those details. We just love the game--the pageantry, the emotion, the come-from-behind wins, the testosterone driven confrontations, and the grace of a well-executed pass play.

When I was 8 years old, I watched my first pro game on television--a black and white set. I remember turning to my father and asking him, "Dad, what is a down?" His answer? Laughter. He was laughing at my ignorance. I will never forget it. I want women to be able to ask questions of me and of each other without fear of ridicule. I want us to be educated about the game so we can stop the men dead in their tracks with our insight. It doesn't mean we have to know how fast the new rookie can run or the amount of weight a player can bench press. All it means is that we can talk intelligently about the teams, their strengths and weaknesses, their progress throughout the season. It means we will know when a flag is thrown what the penalty probably is and why there was an infraction. It means we will have just as good a chance at winning the football pool as the guys--maybe better because we will not only use our heads, but our hearts to pick a winner. In the game of football, sometimes the heart makes all the difference in the world.

So, come along for the ride with me. I'm going to be traveling all over the country photographing pro and college games. I will be sharing those moments with you and gathering stories about players, their families, football cities, as well as providing informative articles to help you increase your expertise. I welcome your feedback and input.