I hear it all the time and I'm sick of hearing the typical line from guys who say, "Wait, you know sports?" Yes, I know sports and I'm a girl, how very shocking, I know. Most of the guys I've met and especially those I've met since I started college start out by asking my major and when I tell them "sports journalism" they all get the same surprised look on their face.

Why is the stereotype that I don't like sports just because I'm a girl still a thing? It's 2017 for crying out loud. Also associated with that is that I know nothing about sports when in fact I know just as much or probably more about the particular sport than they do.

There's the assumption that I only like sports because my dad or brothers do. Yes, they heavily influenced me with watching sports since I was little and yes I love the same teams they do. How did you decide your favorite team? Who or what made you decide you like sports?

I'm a HUGE sports fan; specifically, baseball is my favorite sport to watch and attend in person. I also love football and basketball. One of my favorite things to do is watch sports with my dad. I'm constantly learning new things about the game and developing my passion for it.

We started a new tradition five years ago to attend a Kansas State basketball game for my birthday. Every year I go I get more excited because I've kept up with the players and I know who I can expect to make an impact that night for the team. I've also gotten pretty good at getting autographs.

Autographs from both college baseball and basketball players are one of the most fun things to try to get. Even before I became the sports fanatic I am now, I've always loved trying to get autographs. When you're a kid and you go up to a baseball player with a pen and a ball or even your ticket, athletes are usually more than happy to oblige and sign for you.

An advantage of being a female sports fan is that players are usually more willing to sign for me because I keep up with that team and know who they are. They too get this surprised look, but then that surprise turns to excitement and they are happy to sign. People are all too quick to assume when they see a girl at a sporting event trying for autographs thinking that she doesn't have any idea who they're asking for an autograph from.

My favorite part of summer is going to Kansas City with my dad and brother and being able to catch a few Royals games. I strategically plan when we should go by looking ahead at the schedule and seeing what teams we haven't seen the Royals play against. As you can probably guess, I most definitely keep track of this along with ticket stubs from every game I've been to.

Yes, I'm that person. My passion for sports has only grown as I've gotten older and been able to attend more games. I'm forever grateful for my dad being the super patient person that he is and taking the time to explain everything to me.

I know he probably gets a little annoyed at times when I start asking a lot of questions, but it's only because I want to know as much or more about sports as he does. Needless to say, when March Madness rolls around we're not exactly friendly around each other. Every game is on and we're constantly keeping up with scores to figure out who is ahead in our bracket pool.

Money on the line and bragging rights? Sign me up. P.S. I pick at least one of my brackets completely based on uniform/school colors and mascots every year and it tends to get me pretty far. Try that strategy sometime because once tournament time rolls around all statistics go out the window.