Football Friday

Are you ready for some football?!

It’s that time of year again folks.

Football season.

Tailgating.

Cheering on your favorite high school, college, and NFL teams.

Wait… what is that you say? Are you thinking… “Who cares about football?”  Hmm… SMH. (Shake my head.)

Let me introduce you to some facts:

“Ranked among the top most popular sports in the United States along with the National Football League and Major League Baseball, NCAA (college) Football counts 103 million adults as fans* or 44 percent of all US adults. Among adult college football fans, 61 percent are male and 39 percent female.”

http://www.militarybowl.org/college-football-continues-to-build-unprecedented-interest-with-record-attendance-and-stellar-ratings/

So for those of you who are football fans – welcome back to football season. For those of you who are not… let me ask you, are you dating, engaged, or married to a football fan? The answer, I’m guessing, is quite possibly! Do you know anything about it though? Have you wanted to learn about because you’d like to become a fan or please the man in your life with some football knowledge?

Well now is the time to learn.

I’m going to starting a Football Friday blog. The basics, the history, scores and updates.

Let me introduce you to my personal story with football:

I grew up in Goshen, Indiana which is about 30 minutes east of South Bend, Indiana. Those two towns probably don’t sound too familiar to you. Well, South Bend is home to the one and only: The University of Notre Dame. This place is full of history; hallowed grounds with its own zip code. I grew up a Fighting Irish fan. Specifically when it came to football – my dad taught me almost everything I know. My grandpa also helped to build the actual Golden Dome (seen in the picture below).  I was the kid in middle school that listened to the radio on Saturday afternoons for that special moment before kickoff when Notre Dame’s own pop song, “Here Come the Irish” came over the radio. Feel free to listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45P6Q2oe_I4 . I would sing it at the top of my lungs while putting on everything blue, gold, and green I owned. This also included painting my face or using green clover stickers to show my pride. All this… just to watch the game in my living room at home, cheering on the Irish.

Then… I met my husband. Who not only has Irish blood, but also has a tendency, at times during the year, to look like the Leprechaun. And is the biggest Notre Dame fan I know. He taught me even more about football and shared the same love, or in his case, obsession about the Irish that I did. Many people have asked me, “So are you a Notre Dame fan because of Eric?” NOPE! I was born an Irish fan! 

 

 My husband, Eric, and the leprechaun in 2005.

He and I religiously follow Notre Dame football and up until last year when we moved to Arizona, Eric was a field usher on the football field at Notre Dame Stadium every home game. The first time I was in Notre Dame stadium, I had such a rush of adrenaline that I cried! It was amazing. There is nothing like it! I slept outside the stadium in front of the ticket office over night, just to get tickets for the Notre Dame vs USC game in 2005 and it was so worth it.

So needless to say... I, as a woman, am a football fan. I love watching it and playing it. And this season... I'm gonna be teaching you a thing or two about it!

Me and Eric in 2009 at the midnight drum circle in front of the Golden Dome.

Eric and I tailgating on my 21st birthday in 2006

My brother and I at the Notre Dame opener in 2010... I literally got off the plane from Phoenix, got into my brother's car, drove 10 minutes to Notre Dame, and FULL OUT RAN a mile to get into the game before kickoff. 

GO IRISH!