Football

[Anonymous]

So the guy I'm dating told me his friend is throwing a Super Bowl party. It will be all couples there and they're die hard football fans. I don't watch football and honestly I don't know anything about that sport. I don't want to feel left out or disappoint him by not going so I need to take the next few weeks to learn about football. Where do I begin?

[Anonymous]

The Super Bowl is the only sports event where everyone watches the commercials and talks during the game. We go to a Super Bowl party every year and it's rare that I give two shits about the teams that ended up in it. Even if everyone there is a diehard football fan, are they diehard Falcons or Patriots fans?

[Anonymous]

Things you need to learn before a Superbowl party:
1) Don't double dip your chip
2) How to drink a domestic beer
3) Don't talk on 3rd down and any yards
4) The most important part of the game to you may be seeing Lady Gaga.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Things you need to learn before a Superbowl party:
1) Don't double dip your chip
2) How to drink a domestic beer
3) Don't talk on 3rd down and any yards
4) The most important part of the game to you may be seeing Lady Gaga.

I don't even know what a 3rd down is.

[Anonymous]

OP, don't try to learn football in 2 weeks. Just sit there and watch the game and have fun. Any big football fan will be annoyed by you if you try to "talk" football. You'll seem awkward and sound like you're trying too hard. Also, don't be "that girl" who cheers for the other team just to try to get attention. Also, don't ask a bunch of questions.

As a big football fan, I've seen it all and can tell you that just enjoying the Superbowl party is your best option. Also, if the game is close, getting up to get beer is a chore...you can help out with that too.

[Anonymous]

Lesson #1. Changing yourself or pretending to be someone you aren't won't work. Go, have fun, make a great dish to bring, and admit that you know nothing about football. No one cares and if you truly try to pretend you are some big football fan you will totally look like a dork.

[Anonymous]

OP--I was in this situation when I first started dating my BF 2+ years ago (he and his friends are diehard Pats fans and they were in the Superbowl that year too).

I would advise you to own the fact that you don't know much about it -- his male friends will LOVE to mansplain the game to you and it is very likely that at least some of the females there will bond with you over being most excited about the commercials and the halftime show.

Don't stress and have fun!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, don't try to learn football in 2 weeks. Just sit there and watch the game and have fun. Any big football fan will be annoyed by you if you try to "talk" football. You'll seem awkward and sound like you're trying too hard. Also, don't be "that girl" who cheers for the other team just to try to get attention. Also, don't ask a bunch of questions.

As a big football fan, I've seen it all and can tell you that just enjoying the Superbowl party is your best option. Also, if the game is close, getting up to get beer is a chore...you can help out with that too.

Thanks, it will be hard to enjoy it when I don't really know what's going on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Lesson #1. Changing yourself or pretending to be someone you aren't won't work. Go, have fun, make a great dish to bring, and admit that you know nothing about football. No one cares and if you truly try to pretend you are some big football fan you will totally look like a dork.

The only reason I haven't told him that I'm not into football because I like this guy and I don't want that to be a deal breaker. I made that mistake with my ex husband. I told him when we first starting dating that I don't watch and had no desire to. He would go to football parties alone and eventually got tired of that since all his friends brought their wives and girlfriends and decided to find someone (his current wife) who was a diehard fan like him. I don't want to make that mistake again.

[Anonymous]

(Forgive me if this description isn't perfect. I'm not an expert, but this is what I've gleaned in recent years.)

In a nutshell, here's football:

1) The teams take turns playing offense and defense. The team playing offense "has possession of the ball".

2) The team who has the ball has four tries to advance the ball 10 yards toward the other team's endzone. Each try is called a "down".

3) If they do advance the ball at least 10 yards, they get to keep the ball and start over at the 1st down to advance the ball another 10 yards. They do this until they score, fail to advance the ball 10 yards within 4 downs, or the other team steals the ball (usually by intercepting a pass but other things can happen to do this, too).

4) They can score by running the ball into the endzone, called a "touchdown" (6 points). Or they score by kicking the ball through the goal posts, called a "field goal" (3 points).

5) If they score a touchdown, they will try for a bonus point, by kicking the ball through the goal posts. This is easy and almost always a guaranteed point. If they really need more points, they can choose instead to try a "two point conversion" which involves running the ball into the endzone again. This is much harder, but more exciting if they make it.

6) Once a team scores, the other team automatically gets the ball. For the second half of the game, they switch end zones so don't be confused if the favored team is suddenly running in the opposite direction (like I was).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Lesson #1. Changing yourself or pretending to be someone you aren't won't work. Go, have fun, make a great dish to bring, and admit that you know nothing about football. No one cares and if you truly try to pretend you are some big football fan you will totally look like a dork.

The only reason I haven't told him that I'm not into football because I like this guy and I don't want that to be a deal breaker. I made that mistake with my ex husband. I told him when we first starting dating that I don't watch and had no desire to. He would go to football parties alone and eventually got tired of that since all his friends brought their wives and girlfriends and decided to find someone (his current wife) who was a diehard fan like him. I don't want to make that mistake again.

PP dating the diehard Pats fan here. Not being truthful about this won't work if you don't know the game. You need to be honest and he will teach you--just be supportive and go to watch games with him! Your ex sounds like an asshole.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:(Forgive me if this description isn't perfect. I'm not an expert, but this is what I've gleaned in recent years.)

In a nutshell, here's football:

1) The teams take turns playing offense and defense. The team playing offense "has possession of the ball".

2) The team who has the ball has four tries to advance the ball 10 yards toward the other team's endzone. Each try is called a "down".

3) If they do advance the ball at least 10 yards, they get to keep the ball and start over at the 1st down to advance the ball another 10 yards. They do this until they score, fail to advance the ball 10 yards within 4 downs, or the other team steals the ball (usually by intercepting a pass but other things can happen to do this, too).

4) They can score by running the ball into the endzone, called a "touchdown" (6 points). Or they score by kicking the ball through the goal posts, called a "field goal" (3 points).

5) If they score a touchdown, they will try for a bonus point, by kicking the ball through the goal posts. This is easy and almost always a guaranteed point. If they really need more points, they can choose instead to try a "two point conversion" which involves running the ball into the endzone again. This is much harder, but more exciting if they make it.

6) Once a team scores, the other team automatically gets the ball. For the second half of the game, they switch end zones so don't be confused if the favored team is suddenly running in the opposite direction (like I was).

Great description. It took me years to understand the downs, I wish I'd had this cheat sheet! Note on #4 that you can run the ball in or catch the ball while already in the end zone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:(Forgive me if this description isn't perfect. I'm not an expert, but this is what I've gleaned in recent years.)

In a nutshell, here's football:

1) The teams take turns playing offense and defense. The team playing offense "has possession of the ball".

2) The team who has the ball has four tries to advance the ball 10 yards toward the other team's endzone. Each try is called a "down".

3) If they do advance the ball at least 10 yards, they get to keep the ball and start over at the 1st down to advance the ball another 10 yards. They do this until they score, fail to advance the ball 10 yards within 4 downs, or the other team steals the ball (usually by intercepting a pass but other things can happen to do this, too).

4) They can score by running the ball into the endzone, called a "touchdown" (6 points). Or they score by kicking the ball through the goal posts, called a "field goal" (3 points).

5) If they score a touchdown, they will try for a bonus point, by kicking the ball through the goal posts. This is easy and almost always a guaranteed point. If they really need more points, they can choose instead to try a "two point conversion" which involves running the ball into the endzone again. This is much harder, but more exciting if they make it.

6) Once a team scores, the other team automatically gets the ball. For the second half of the game, they switch end zones so don't be confused if the favored team is suddenly running in the opposite direction (like I was).

With this description, you will see words under the score that say something like "2nd and 5" which means it's the 2nd down and they have 5 yards to go (to get their 10 yards). Or you might see "3rd and 2" which means 3rd down and 2 yards to go. Sometimes, you'll see something like "3rd and 15" which means they got some negative yards during their time with the ball and have a lot of work to do. This can happen because of a penalty where yards were added, or because the quarterback was sacked (tackled) when he took a step back to pass the ball and never got a chance to pass it. That step back resulted in negative yards.

[Anonymous]

My wife doesn't watch (or like) football. I don't watch (or like) reality TV. She gets annoyed when I jump into an episode of Real Housewives and ask questions or act like I know what's going on. I would feel the same way if she started asking me about football (or faked interest) during the superbowl.

If you want to be together, just sit there, watch, converse with other non-interested parties, and have fun. There's a lot going on during the Superbowl that isn't football...just make sure you don't interrupt the actual game if there's a lot of die-hard fans there (for example, don't drone on about the commercials and halftime show while the game is being played, especially if it's a close game)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:(Forgive me if this description isn't perfect. I'm not an expert, but this is what I've gleaned in recent years.)

In a nutshell, here's football:

1) The teams take turns playing offense and defense. The team playing offense "has possession of the ball".

2) The team who has the ball has four tries to advance the ball 10 yards toward the other team's endzone. Each try is called a "down".

3) If they do advance the ball at least 10 yards, they get to keep the ball and start over at the 1st down to advance the ball another 10 yards. They do this until they score, fail to advance the ball 10 yards within 4 downs, or the other team steals the ball (usually by intercepting a pass but other things can happen to do this, too).

4) They can score by running the ball into the endzone, called a "touchdown" (6 points). Or they score by kicking the ball through the goal posts, called a "field goal" (3 points).

5) If they score a touchdown, they will try for a bonus point, by kicking the ball through the goal posts. This is easy and almost always a guaranteed point. If they really need more points, they can choose instead to try a "two point conversion" which involves running the ball into the endzone again. This is much harder, but more exciting if they make it.

6) Once a team scores, the other team automatically gets the ball. For the second half of the game, they switch end zones so don't be confused if the favored team is suddenly running in the opposite direction (like I was).

Great description. It took me years to understand the downs, I wish I'd had this cheat sheet! Note on #4 that you can run the ball in or catch the ball while already in the end zone.

Good point. One way to advance the ball is to pass it but the receiver has to catch that ball for the yards to count. Catching the ball in the end zone absolutely counts as a touchdown.