Football
I used to watch football with my Dad on Sunday afternoons. On winter days in Minnesota there really wasn't much else to do. This was in the days before cable, though it wouldn't matter since there was only one TV in the house anyway. I did enjoy those afternoons, but I wasn't really a fan. It was something to watch if I didn't have a good book to read.
I didn't start paying attention to football until after I got out of college. I knew that I would be working mostly with male pharmacists. I felt that it would be a good idea to have a working knowledge of some major sport so that I could start a conversation with a colleague if needed. The two sports I'd watched a lot of were football and hockey. I like hockey a lot,but prefer to watch club hockey. That left football.
When visiting my parents I would watch games with my Dad and he would explain things as best he could. He had never played the game but he'd watched it for many years. I learned the basics from him.
It wasn't until C and I got married that I really got in to football. C used to play football in high school. He knows the game in a whole different way than my Dad does. In order to keep up with C,I bought a book. It explains things in a bit more detail. I take it out and reread it every year at the start of the season.
Until I started watching more of it I didn't realise that a fair amount of thought goes into the game. While it is important for players to work out their bodies, they also have to work out their minds. They have to get to know the strengths and weakness of the team they are playing. The team members have routes to figure out, plays to memorise and learn ways to defend against certain members of the opposing team. They also need to figure out what to when something goes wrong.
The coaches need to analyze game films to formulate an overall strategy. They also need to figure out what to do if a player is injured or not doing what is needed.
It's a lot more than just throwing,catching and running.
I didn't realise just how much I was getting into the game until a few weeks ago. A Green Bay Packer had caught the ball, I can't remember if it was thrown to him or intercepted. He ran down the sideline toward the end zone and about ten yards before he got there he held the ball over his head with one hand. It was a great run and counted as a touchdown for the Pack. I was happy about the touchdown, but thought the player should have kept the ball tucked in his arm until he was safely in the end zone. An opposing team player could have caught up with him and knocked it right out of his hand. Then he would have gone from being the hero of the moment to the star of the blooper reel. I sat in the living room and yelled at the TV for several minutes before it hit me. I am now a football fan.
Instead of turning on Singers and Standards while I work out on the elliptical, I now turn on the NFL network. I like watching the slow motion replays they show because then I can learn more. I'm even enjoying the spirited (and sometimes incoherent)discussions of players and teams.
I'm looking forward to spending time with C watching games and maybe doing a little needle point. It's going to be a good season this year. Many teams are looking good including a few that were pretty bad last year. There have already been several good games and it is only week four. There's plenty more to watch.
I didn't start paying attention to football until after I got out of college. I knew that I would be working mostly with male pharmacists. I felt that it would be a good idea to have a working knowledge of some major sport so that I could start a conversation with a colleague if needed. The two sports I'd watched a lot of were football and hockey. I like hockey a lot,but prefer to watch club hockey. That left football.
When visiting my parents I would watch games with my Dad and he would explain things as best he could. He had never played the game but he'd watched it for many years. I learned the basics from him.
It wasn't until C and I got married that I really got in to football. C used to play football in high school. He knows the game in a whole different way than my Dad does. In order to keep up with C,I bought a book. It explains things in a bit more detail. I take it out and reread it every year at the start of the season.
Until I started watching more of it I didn't realise that a fair amount of thought goes into the game. While it is important for players to work out their bodies, they also have to work out their minds. They have to get to know the strengths and weakness of the team they are playing. The team members have routes to figure out, plays to memorise and learn ways to defend against certain members of the opposing team. They also need to figure out what to when something goes wrong.
The coaches need to analyze game films to formulate an overall strategy. They also need to figure out what to do if a player is injured or not doing what is needed.
It's a lot more than just throwing,catching and running.
I didn't realise just how much I was getting into the game until a few weeks ago. A Green Bay Packer had caught the ball, I can't remember if it was thrown to him or intercepted. He ran down the sideline toward the end zone and about ten yards before he got there he held the ball over his head with one hand. It was a great run and counted as a touchdown for the Pack. I was happy about the touchdown, but thought the player should have kept the ball tucked in his arm until he was safely in the end zone. An opposing team player could have caught up with him and knocked it right out of his hand. Then he would have gone from being the hero of the moment to the star of the blooper reel. I sat in the living room and yelled at the TV for several minutes before it hit me. I am now a football fan.
Instead of turning on Singers and Standards while I work out on the elliptical, I now turn on the NFL network. I like watching the slow motion replays they show because then I can learn more. I'm even enjoying the spirited (and sometimes incoherent)discussions of players and teams.
I'm looking forward to spending time with C watching games and maybe doing a little needle point. It's going to be a good season this year. Many teams are looking good including a few that were pretty bad last year. There have already been several good games and it is only week four. There's plenty more to watch.
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