Anonymous wrote:OP, I can appreciate your question as I have multiple sons, although in my case it's primarily baseball. What these PPs who obviously don't have sons don't get is the bonds of communication that men experience when talking about the nuances of sports. I see it in the conversation between my husband and the boys. They aren't just "talking about football" or whatever. There is a lot more to it than that.
What I've done:
Read up on their favorite team and at least learn the names of the key players. Know how the team is doing every week. Know who and when they are playing each week. Show some interest in whether they win or lose. Keep up with general team news, e.g. a coach is fired, a major player is injured and out for the season, etc. Learn the basics of the game. I get it about the noise in the house with all the cheering, but try to be a part of that - make the chili or order the pizza, for example. They will appreciate the effort and this is one of those things that will get better as they get older and realize that most girls aren't into it as much as they are, either!
I have teen and adult sons who love sports and have never felt the need to do a research project of this sort, nor to make a production of feeding them while they watch outside of championship games. I do sit on the couch with them often when they are watching their sports (football, basketball, and soccer) and read or play sudoku. They like to point out great plays to me on replay, and they don’t care that I am not following the games closely. They (and DH) just enjoy the company and family couch time.
They are also capable of and interested in talking about non-sports related subjects too—school, friends, music, work, food, movies, books, etc. if OP’s son is only capable of or willing to talk to her about sports, I think it’s time to get some new family hobbies and activities.