According to most fans, football is the greatest invention since fire. Some say the sport is more necessary than water (but not beer). Football is much more than a game – it is an outward expression of the journey people take to achieve their goals. It’s a microcosm of the human spirit – a group of motivated individuals all trying to achieve a common goal, playing their part and sacrificing for the good of the team. Each distinct contribution works in a synergetic way to produce amazing effects.
Think of the pigskin as our tools, the individual players as members of society, the football field as a blank canvas; with everyone focused on the same objective the opportunities are limitless and the results are profound. If you want to be a part of this energetic community, use these five steps to become a true football fan.
Step 1: Understand the Game
In order to truly appreciate football, you need to learn the basic rules of the sport. Know all the positions that make up a team and the particular objective of each one. Not everyone is going for a touchdown – there are offensive lineman trying to protect the quarterback who is trying to get the ball in the hands of a receiver or running back who then tries to go as far down the field as possible.
A football team as a whole is like a machine with many parts and only when they all work together can they score a goal. By understanding the game you will gain an appreciation for strategy and the intellectual aspect of the sport.
Step 2: Understand the History
Newbies may enjoy football more when they understand the history of the sport. It is filled with rogue stars, unsung heroes, triumphs, and tragedies. It is like a living soap opera with each year offering new drama.
For instance, this year’s drama is that the owners of some teams are locking out the players from practice because they want to keep more money for themselves. The players have gotten together to ‘strike’ in order to get bigger contracts. Should they still train and work their bodies to exhaustion, even if there is a possibility there will be no football season next year? How about the players coming out of college that got drafted?
That is one snippet of the drama that exists in the history of football.
Step 3: Play a Pick Up Game
To truly understand the difficulty of any sport, you need to experience it first-hand. Go to the park and throw the ball around. If you can, get into a pick up game. Imagine doing the same thing but with 300 pound lineman looking to rip off your head. Now you will start to appreciate what each and every player goes through on a daily basis.
Watching players on a television screen doesn’t give you the full experience of the game. Once you play it, you can understand the subtle nuances of the sport and appreciate it from a first person point of view.
Step 4: Choose a Favorite Team
Football is fun because you get to root for your favorite team. If you have a team in your hometown, you should support that franchise. I live in LA and we haven’t had a professional football team in over a decade, so pretty much anyone is up for grabs.
The USC Trojans are LA’s unofficial football team since they are a college. I am a fan of the Jets because Mark Sanchez (the Jet’s starting quarterback) was USC’s quarterback when I went to USC.
Step 5: Enjoy the Community
The Super Bowl is the most watched television show in America year after year. Even if you don’t enjoy the sport, there is something about the whole nation tuned in to the same program that makes us feel connected to everyone around us.
Football is about so much more than just the game. It is about the the family, your hometown, and your national pride.
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