"There's Always Next Year"

That's the perspective I've been told you need to have with football. It's apparently a heart breaking sport and when your team doesn't make it to the Superbowl, you need to be comforted that there's always next year. When Richard and I were dating I knew that he really liked football, but I didn't quite understand his obsession with the sport till our first football season together in marriage. I think it's an obsession, but he insists that it's a passion.

He explained to me that there are three types of people who watch football. First, there's people like me. I root for Cal simply because I went there for school, but I don't know much about the game. Then, there's people who watch football socially. They don't really care who wins or loses but they enjoy the game and environment. Lastly, there's people like Richard. He studies the game and re-watches plays to analyze strategy. And ESPN is his go to site. He even jokingly told me that he didn't play fantasy football this year to save our marriage. As he's explaining all of this to me, I'm thinking "why did I get stuck with the third type, God??"

But PRAISE GOD for the Superbowl. Today officially marks the end of football and I'm proud to say that I survived through what seemed like a really really long season. September through February..games on Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. And if I'm lucky, sometimes we watch 2 games on Saturdays. Yes, Richard lets me win Monoploy Deal, but I let him watch a lot of football. Can we call it even? Needless to say, I wanted to share a few things I've observed the past 5 months.

1. It's not just a game
The game was Chargers (our team) vs. Broncos. It was a close game through the first half and I could see that Richard was getting more and more tense. But the Chargers played a horrible second half and they lost. He was devastated...like seriously, I couldn't comprehend it. So after I gave him a few minutes to grieve, I tried to comfort him by saying "hun, it's okay, it's just a game." And I'll never forget the look on his face when he said, "no, it's not just a game." At that moment, I realized that he felt things for football I will never be able to comprehend and if it's something that means a lot to him, then it means a lot to me. Now I know that it's never just a game.

2. It's a love-hate relationship
Cal lost. The Chargers lost. "This happens every year," he says. I see that it breaks him to pieces and yet he is so faithful to his team year after year. The more experienced football fans console him by saying that you just need to grow a thick skin because it's an emotional ride. And through the ups and the downs with our teams, I was reminded of the importance of being faithful and committed to someone or something even though things might not always go your way.  

3. It brings people together
This is my favorite part. Football brings all types of fans together and I love that we can all cheer, shout, celebrate, and grieve together. In the end, it's those people that can be there with us through the small things in life that will be there for the greater times to come.  

I never believed I would be able to write so much about football. God willing, I'll be able to write about more in the seasons to come. For my one and only, let's hope for Cal and the Chargers for 2010!
And for those who rooted for the Saints, this was your year.

And just for fun...pictures!

These were photos taken in Tahoe back in summer 2007 when we were still friends. The guys seriously did this for 2 hours. Back then, I just thought they were having fun jumping in the water, but now I realize it's more likely that they were seriously thinking they were playing in the NFL.

This was our attempt to pose for the Heisman award. Focus on Richard...a little too good huh?

I'm just relieved that he's not a huge basketball fan!!