Every single Sunday during my childhood, I sat in front of the TV, with my dad and brother in tow, watching some sporting event. From the fall to the winter, Sunday football dominated the screen for the whole day. Once the Super Bowl passed, college basketball would be roaring through the house. March Madness comes and goes, NBA playoffs fill the void until golf tournaments became the norm all the way up to pre-season NFL. It was the circle of life every single year. I may not have liked it too much in my younger years, but now I cannot go a day without reading ESPN.com or watching highlights from some game that has been played.
The circle of life that inhabited my childhood eventually fueled my dreams to become the next Erin Andrews. For six years, I wanted to be the sideline reporter for major NFL games. I wanted to be Erin Andrews and be a role model to girls everywhere. Erin Andrews has made a major break in the barrier of sportscasting and another major break in the norms of society.
Girls watch sports. With the Super Bowl that just passed, I was in conversation with many of my friends about the outcome of the biggest game of the year. And I have not once, but many times, been told, "You don't know anything about what's going on" or "You just act like you know to gain a guy's attention." This girl, like others who have been told that, was pretty pissed off.
Sports are not just a guy thing. There are female players in all of the major sports. There are female reporters covering every single sport known to man. So when will the guys of this world get the picture that sports are actually very interesting to women?
After years of being told I don't know what I am talking about or I am just trying to impress the opposite sex, it is just old. So, guys, here are a few tidbits:
Women do watch sports.
Women do know sports teams.
Women do know sports players, and not just because they are hot.
Women do know certain plays of the games.
Women do know how playoffs work.
Women do know, maybe, just a little bit more than you.
So do us a favor: lay off, grab the beer and Doritos and let's have a good time watching the game.
