Does Football season adversely affect your relationship with spouse?

[Anonymous]

For me, it's not just football season. If he were just into one NFL team for a few hours a week, no big deal. But football season (college and NFL) leads to basketball season (with season tickets) leads to baseball and golf season and then football starts all over again. It is, by far, the biggest issue in our relationship. Pre-kids, I didn't mind so much but now that we have two little ones, we've had to come to a compromise. Now he tapes most of the NFL games but he goes to a lot of the college games as his team is local so that's 7-8 hours gone a few Saturdays a year. I suck it up because it's only 7-8 games a year but it's during the fall when the weather is so nice and would be great to go out and do fun things with the kids. And when basketball season and football season overlap--even worse. I LOVE Superbowl Sunday because at least football is over for a few months.

Thank goodness for my MIL--she understands because FIL is the same way and always offers to help/babysit so that I can get some free time as well on the weekends. I have two boys so the way I figure it, in a few years, they can all watch the games together and I'll head to the spa---ALONE!

[Anonymous]

I am so happy that my DH is not into sports because I can't stand them and it would absolutely be an issue in our relationship. It was an issue with my previous boyfriend who followed all the Boston teams. The one time I sat down and watched a game with him and his friends (and I was probably reading, to be honest, not really watching the game), it totally freaked me out how they all yelled at the TV. I was just like, how can you care this much about something so completely irrelevant to your life? And then when his team lost he would be all sulky and in a bad mood for the rest of the day. Sports was not why we broke up but NO THANKS.

And for the posters intimating that it's abnormal for a man not to be into sports, give me a freaking break. Not everyone has to like sports. DH is a perfectly normal heterosexual man who just happens to enjoy other types of hobbies and entertainment. He has seen games, understands the rules of the major sports, and knows enough about what's going on that he can make small talk at work, but it's not something that he cares to take the time to invest in. We haven't had cable for over three years anyway. OTOH, my best friend, who is a really intellectual Jewish woman and someone I never would have expected to be a sports fan, loves football. People have different interests that don't always align with their demographic characteristics.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it sure does.

Wasn't so much an issue before we had kids, but we now have toddlers so all day Sunday it's just me, and then there's Monday and Thursday night and all the fantasy stuff in between.

I hate it. But, in return I get to do a couple of things I enjoy - except they almost all happen at night after the kids are asleep so it doesn't really feel the same.

I'm hoping all of this will be easier when the kids are older but it is a very difficult thing to manage.

[Anonymous]

My DH works from home most nights and weekends. Football would be a welcome change!

[Anonymous]

Yes it has. We cheer for teams that are archrivals. No fun!

I grew up in a house with 4 brothers and sports are a big part of our lives. I could not be with a man who wanted me to suppress my love for sports. Luckily, my DH loves sports too. Our kids also play sports and lot of weekend time was spent at their games or tourmanents.

Some of you with young kids....I understand the angst. But as your kids get older and play sports themselves, the family dymanic will surely change.

[Anonymous]

You do all realize it is entirely possible to watch a game and take care of children at the same time right?

[Anonymous]

The level of fanaticism matters a lot.

Compare:
* Being cool with getting up for 1-2 minutes a few times during non-critical junctures (e.g. to help with a diaper, to find some semi-lost object, to look at some work of art, etc)
* Keeping your cool even if your team is losing
* Enjoying having the kids around to watch the game with you.
* Interacting with the family during non-game times, and maybe picking 1-2 of the possible game slots to watch a game.

with

* Acting annoyed at any interruption at all.
* Being a prick if your team is losing.
* Expecting the chance to totally concentrate
* Ignoring the family from noon until midnight on Saturday and Sunday

Fantasy is as important as you let it -- if DH requires a night during the week for the draft, and then 15-30 minutes of planning to figure out lineup changes, no biggie. If he's in five leagues, is gone every Sunday, etc. that's not as cool.

The wives who act annoyed that their husband has an interest other than what they want are even worse IMO. At least the sports fan can be left to rot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am so happy that my DH is not into sports because I can't stand them and it would absolutely be an issue in our relationship. It was an issue with my previous boyfriend who followed all the Boston teams. The one time I sat down and watched a game with him and his friends (and I was probably reading, to be honest, not really watching the game), it totally freaked me out how they all yelled at the TV. I was just like, how can you care this much about something so completely irrelevant to your life? And then when his team lost he would be all sulky and in a bad mood for the rest of the day. Sports was not why we broke up but NO THANKS.

And for the posters intimating that it's abnormal for a man not to be into sports, give me a freaking break. Not everyone has to like sports. DH is a perfectly normal heterosexual man who just happens to enjoy other types of hobbies and entertainment. He has seen games, understands the rules of the major sports, and knows enough about what's going on that he can make small talk at work, but it's not something that he cares to take the time to invest in. We haven't had cable for over three years anyway. OTOH, my best friend, who is a really intellectual Jewish woman and someone I never would have expected to be a sports fan, loves football. People have different interests that don't always align with their demographic characteristics.

I also love that my Dh doesn't like sports. We take advantage of the beautiful fall weather. Last weekend we went geocaching and this weekend we are going apple picking. We actually sometimes plan our outings during games just to avoid the crowds.

[Anonymous]

DW at DH watching a game:

DW: Honey, if you're not doing anything...

DH: I am watching the game. I know to you this is not important, but I am doing something and it is important to me. It may not be important to you, but I is to me,

[Anonymous]

My father absolutely loved college football, especially his slam mater. There were two games never to be missed: Navy v. Notre Dame and Army v Navy. We would go every year to the Army-Navy Game. We joked my father lived long enough to see Nsvy beat Notre Dame - twice! So, he died a happy man.

My mother says she misses my father most on game days because their is no one to talk with about football. It was just one of those things they shared in a 45 year marriage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My father absolutely loved college football, especially his slam mater. There were two games never to be missed: Navy v. Notre Dame and Army v Navy. We would go every year to the Army-Navy Game. We joked my father lived long enough to see Nsvy beat Notre Dame - twice! So, he died a happy man.

My mother says she misses my father most on game days because their is no one to talk with about football. It was just one of those things they shared in a 45 year marriage.

You sound like you have a great family.

[Anonymous]

I'm the girl who hangs out with your husbands, watching sports. When you nag and nag and push him away, I'm happy to see him on Sundays. If I were you, I'd find a way to enjoy sports together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the girl who hangs out with your husbands, watching sports. When you nag and nag and push him away, I'm happy to see him on Sundays. If I were you, I'd find a way to enjoy sports together.

that sounds like a threat haha