Football fans are an unusual breed of people. But we understand each other and the weird things we do. We take our games very seriously. Everyone has their passions, ours happens to be akin to an obsession in some respects. Football fans do a lot of weird things, here’s a list of a few of them, that only other football fans will understand.
1. Insisting on listening to the local radio commentary of the game and not the network TV guys
Your local guys are always going to be more entertaining, and usually more knowledgeable about the individual players from your team. You can have the color commentators without the game, but you cannot have the game without the color commentators. Ever.
2. Wearing the same shirt for every game. (washing optional)
If you forget your shirt or jersey, you can’t put it on in the middle of the game. If you wash it and your team loses, feign ignorance. If anyone asks, that shirt hasn’t been washed since the last losing streak.
3. Sitting in the same seat for every game.
If you leave in the room and something good happens like your team scoring a field goal and a touchdown, then obviously you must be bad luck to your team and you have guaranteed that you will be required to remain in the kitchen for the rest of the game. And possibly the next game as well. Just to be safe.
4. Game snacks are the most important meal of the day.
Game snacks can only be secured during a timeout or commercial break, and the ratio of chips to dip must be carefully considered so as not to create an endless cycle of more dip and then more chips, which requires you to keep leaving the game.
5. Game day pictures, win or lose
If most of your family pictures involve all of your family members wearing matching shirts or jerseys, you’re doing something right. If you can compare game day pictures from different years and find the same shirt on two or more people, then you’re really doing something right. Those precious team shirts have to stay in the family, you know.
6. When away from home, the game connects you to your home city and makes the distance not seem quite as far
Discovering I lived close enough to my home city to still get the radio coverage of my team was one of the best feelings ever. Of course, the games are never as fun by yourself, but it’s still football, amirite?
7. Prioritize football over (almost) all else
We are the people who leave the lunch table early to ensure we are prepared for the one o clock game. We are the people who plan where we go according to whether or not there is a TV or radio there. We are those who insist on listening to the pregame on the way to go watch the game. We are the many, we are the proud, we are the weird. We are the football fans.
