I’ve been watching football ever since I can remember. I have sat in the pouring rain watching a team lose terribly in an almost empty football stadium many times. Born and raised in Seattle, I have been a Seahawks fan since the time I was born. I am not afraid to show my loyalty. I wore my Seahawks hat today, albeit because my hair was dirty — but I showed my pride. I have been able to explain the game of football since I was eight years old, but still there are certain things that come up whenever people learn of a dedicated female football fan.

Football has always been a part of my life. I am not new to the Seahawks fandom or even close. As a female football fan, though, I have come across people who question my loyalty. The Seahawks are a team that has just recently begun to get good. Often, people believe that many female fans are just bandwagon fans because the team is now good. I can say for certain that this is not true. I still have jerseys from when I was eight years old and the Seahawks rarely won a game. I have sat in pouring rain to watch a game be lost terribly because I am a loyal fan, and will be so for a long time.

Not only have I been going to games for a very long time, but I have understood the game for a very long time. Many people who watch football understand the basic rules of the game, but that does not mean one cannot have a deeper understanding of the game. When I was a freshman in high school, a young boy came up and asked a group of us how the game of football worked. We were standing in the bleachers at one of the first football games, and this boy had never been truly dedicated to watching football. I spoke up and explained the basic rules without any effort, and all of the people around me were surprised.

As I’ve watched football over the years, I have developed knowledge beyond just the basic rules. I can tell you all about what each foul call means and how to tell the difference between which team was at fault. I understand more than just the basic rules; I understand the hidden parts too. I cannot say I know everything, but I do know more than some people, and more than people generally expect of me.

I can’t personally talk about every single player and team like the men on "SportsCenter" do, but my mom definitely can. Every Monday, my brother, who wants to be a sports journalist, calls my mom, and they talk about the ins and outs of the football games that happened the day before. She lives off of "Sports Radio" during sports radio and constantly wants to talk about where the Seahawks stand or who’s going to start in place of an injured person on some random team. She has a deeper understanding of the game than many men I know.

Football is a great sport and it brings people together. As I get older, these differences between male and female football fans are beginning to dissipate, but that does not mean that they are gone. I will forever be a proud Seahawks fan, and hope to continue to see this sport I love so much bring people together.