Here I am with my sister a few years ago. Obviously, I was aware that #11 meant Matt Leinart. Everyone had a crush on him.
1. DON’T WEAR A PINK JERSEY
“A jersey isn't necessary unless you are a true fan. If
you're wearing a player's jersey, you should know a lot
about that player. T-shirts with team logos or colors are fine. Do
not put your own name on a jersey unless you are under the age of
10. Don't wear
pink versions of jerseys, t-shirts, etc.” —Pete, 29, Dallas
2. KNOW YOUR REFRESHMENT OPTIONS
“Drink beer. Out of the bottle. Solo cups are acceptable. Out of
the can, not as hot.” —Ross, 31, Burbank, CA
“Really, the only acceptable drinks are beers, and the only acceptable beers are Coors, Miller, and Bud. Do NOT drink wine.” —Pete
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3. CHOOSE A SIDE WISELY
“Root for a team you actually like, not simply the one I happen to
like. If you grew up in Philly but you are rooting for the Cowboys
because I like them, I'll think you're not really
interested in football and/or you’re a traitor to your city.”
—Pete
“Root for whomever you like but not because their uniforms are
cute. Have a favorite player or coach or something (but if it’s
because he’s cute, keep that to yourself).”
—Ross
My crush on USC’s coach, “Big Balls Pete”? I’ll keep that to myself, per Rule #3.
4. DO YOUR HOMEWORK
“Before you show up, you should know who is playing, who are the
quarterbacks for each team, what each team's record is (or just
generally if they are good or bad this year), and if there are any
big news stories involving players from either team. This really
isn't hard, just read the preview article on espn.com before
the game.” —Pete
5. PAY ATTENTION
“While watching the game, you should know what the score is, who
has the ball, what quarter it is, etc. Most of this information
should be somewhere on the screen at all times.” —Pete
6. ASK QUESTIONS…DURING COMMERCIALS
“It’s okay if you don’t understand why a penalty was called or why
the handsome quarterback man immediately threw the ball into the
ground (to stop the clock), but ask at the commercial break. If you
ask enough questions early on, by 4th quarter you should have a
pretty good idea of what’s going on and dudes will feel like they
taught you something.” —Ross
“Guys like to teach you about the game, so ask him to explain how the rules work. Learn to watch the game the way he sees it. It might not make too much sense at first, but your understanding will grow as more pieces of the game are revealed.” —Jason, 30, Phoenix
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7. RESPECT THE SPORT
“Do not criticize. If the rules don't make sense at first,
don't give the 'that's dumb' response. The rules
are there for a reason, and the decisions made by the coaches and
players usually happen based off the rules. It is important to be
open to learning the rules, and being dismissive is a turn-off.”
—Jason
8. EASE UP ON THE TRIVIA, CLIFF CLAVEN
“Unless you're watching figure skating, never try to upstage a
guy with sports trivia knowledge. I had a friend with a girlfriend
that would constantly spew out stats like, 'Did you see
so-and-so? They passed for 300 yards last week!' It was
annoying—girls shouldn't try too hard to be one of the guys.
Just show interest, cheer when appropriate, and it never hurts to
offer to go get beers.” —John, 30, San Diego
9. SHOW OR FEIGN INTEREST
“If you become bored during a game...FAKE IT! There’s nothing more
annoying to me than when a girl pulls out her BlackBerry and starts
checking Facebook.” —John
“The best way to make yourself more attractive to a guy while watching football with guys is to appear to be a legitimate fan. You're not watching the game just to meet guys, or because your friend dragged you there, but because you like football and know something about the game. Basically, be comfortable and look like you're enjoying yourself and the game.” —Pete
Now, tell us: Do you watch football? With whom? Are you a die hard fan or a novice? What do you think of these rules? And why is it so hard for me to keep track of the ball? The ball is tiny!
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