"Field Position" What Women Get From NFL FOOTBALL

Less Foot, More Finesse

2011-03-22T20:49:00.000-07:00

Fortunately, I read an article about the kickoff moving to the 35 yard line before I said too much about my opinion, because now I agree with the decision. Yes, it may cause an increase in touchbacks, but I think it will also encourage kickers to further hone their game. With less need for pure power and more room for finesse, we may see an increase in the craft of the kicker, and an ability to pinpoint the opponent in a deep corner.

The supreme athletes on special teams may not get up the enormous heads of steam that can lead to crushing injuries, but let them craft their tackles, too. Less helmet, more finesse.

It Doesn't Matter Who's Playing

2011-01-07T20:48:00.000-08:00

I don't even know who's playing this weekend. Still -- I'm going to watch the games, regardless. After all, it's the playoffs, but lately I can't even keep track of the Wild Card Teams.

It's not that I've been occupying myself with highly productive/lucrative/charitable tasks. Just the daily stuff, but when I think of getting to watch the games this weekend, I'm looking forward to a vicarious smashing out of everything that has to be put-up-with in real life.

I keep my eyes out there on the action. And keep the momentum drama of the game and its players going in my head, which reminds me of my own rise and fall in life. So much effort -- and reward -- in moving even one yard down the field.

The Romance of Football

2011-01-06T10:40:00.001-08:00

Sports offer up glorious metaphors for life.

The week Brett Favre's streak ended, the sky fell down in Minnesota.

My way into the romance of football came when I was 9 or 10 years old, and I stumbled upon a few NFL trading cards on the street. Naturally I picked them up. Back in those days (the 1970s, so far gone!) many players posed for close up pictures, and many of those without helmets.

Topps Trading Card, 1970s ...................... Eve's Trading Card, 1970s

Inspired>>>>>>> !

I would put row after row down on floor or table and study faces, consider personalities, thoughts, emotions of those players. Some looked angry -- game face on -- others innocent and hopeful, or determined. Some stood in the 3 point stance and smiled good-naturedly, and one looked up with pleading eyes as if he needed protection.

In my mind, I created alliances between the players on the cards whether they were on the same teams or not. And on Sundays I'd watch as many as I could.

This was my original Fantasy Football.

Why Football?

2010-12-03T20:45:00.001-08:00

What You Already Know

The men are huge, and then they build themselves up with pads and helments, and they grunt and sweat and then plow into each other again & again. Frankly, you like men just fine, but in this guise you have historically chosen to leave them to their caveman antics. Sunday afternoons are better spent enjoying just about any other pursuit.

And yet seeping through the culture, all the way through to your father/husband/brother... there is football.

It's not that you don't enjoy sport. You may be an athlete in your own right, physically fit from hiking to basketball to dance. But really, what could you ever get out of a sport like football, a sport you could never actually play? The ultimate boys club. "Let them have it," you say!

But wait... men are only seeing half the picture. It's women who get the 360 degree view.

up next... The Romance of Football

On the field, forgiveness

2010-11-22T17:16:00.000-08:00

Michael Vick has taken his second chance seriously. I'm not surprised by how much of me is ready to forgive and cheer and enjoy the quarterback's return. But I know he must look morally ugly to some people.

Part of me has already forgiven him, and part of me hopes he feels awful about what he did for the rest of his life. If he does, then he really has been rehabilitated.

2010-11-08T19:48:00.000-08:00

The Vikings Cardinals game was not on my local TV this past Sunday. But really, I made plans to go out and volunteer making care packages for the homeless BEFORE I knew that.

So Iwould have missed it, anyway. Ho hum, just another another Brett Favre return from a chin-splitting knockout to pass for ultimate yards and win in OT.

Are You Game for Two More?

2010-08-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

It's not that I don't think four pre-season games is too many, I do. But adding another two regular season games to the NFL season will really change the sport.

Sure, they're thinking it will rake in two more weeks of fan purchasing in oh so many forms, but it's not just the player rosters that will have to increase to support the increased losses in battle, it's all the long term injury this will cause. Just how much of the future are they willing to sign away for the present?

Say goodbye the smattering of first string players who are able to last to the final game of the season. The playoffs may become an entirely different beast, with 3rd string quarterbacks throwing to the tight end who's also filling in for the linebacker on defense, etc. And of course and lots of mid-season trading and improvising.

The NY Times rolled out some blunt information about concussions http://www.nytimes.com/info/concussions-in-football/ . Statistics show the incidence of Alzheimers in ex-NFL players is at "a rate of 19 times" the national norm for men aged 30-49.

Me Spectator

2010-08-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

I keep thinking I have to convince myself that football is more than football. As if by itself it's not "meaningful" enough. After all, it's just people bashing against each other for territory and exercise, right?

But as soon as I write the sentence I see that sport stands for more than itself, like in the moment of instinct during play, the athlete's body memory/mind blend is off the charts. Now, that's meaningful.

Then I come back to myself, the spectator. Most of us. And what we get from it. It's got to be more than cheers for the home team and excuse for the couch time.

Did most of us play sports as kids, in school or elsewhere? I was on a losing team in high school basketball, but I loved the game & comraderie, and I never once questioned its deepr value, because I felt it.

2010-08-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

Favre coming back! It makes ME feel young... or at least a shread of the possibility that youth might last another season.

The Fan That Goes Way Back

2010-03-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, my dog chewed

the corners off my favorite football card.

Of course I still have the card.
This one in particular was always kept on the top of my stack of cards.

So, I guess it was the one most likely to flop into a dog's mouth.

Ruined beyond any value but sentimental.

It's not taking up much space.

That's when I can really indulge in sentiment.

Besides, it's Calvin Hill, so handsome and powerful-looking in 1970.

Unfortunately, that didn't last, either.

Here he is, five years later...

The Endurance Factor

2010-01-27T13:23:00.000-08:00

Three years since my last post. Not exactly the way things are supposed to work in the blogosphere. I would hardly have believed it if, back in 2007 someone would have told me Brett Favre would have still been a contender for the Super Bowl in 2010.

But I have been jubilant every year since then when he has come back for another season (whatever the uniform), and telling myself at the end of each season, that was enough. It's okay if he retires. Silent gratitude and the admiring of his skills, charm, endurance and perseverance.

At the beginning of the Viking Saints championshop game last Sunday, I was in the inner revelry again, trying to savor the present tense of his being alive on the stage. Coming out strong and driving for a touchdown.

And then the pounding began. The brutality of the Saints pass rush. I have to admit to acting a little "Mommy" when he gets sacked. There is my intake of breath and the hands clasped to the mouth.

He took a big hit to the midsection, having been driven to the turf, and the Vikings fumbled on the play just after that, and still he dove into the pile for the ball. But wait. Truth be told, Favre was not the first one to the scene, and I thought I saw him watching (waiting?) to see if his teammate, who was already sprawling ahead for the ball, was going to get it. Then, only went he missed it, did Favre jump in there. Was that brief hesitation significant? I don't recall ever seeing it before.

Even after that he was accurate. And even after he was twisted between two flying defenders and carried off the field, he came back. Foot taped up and limping, he was accurate. ... uh.. Right until the interception which sealed the possibility of a win in regulation.

This is not about whether or not Brett Favre will come back again. He already has.

What is Well Deserved

2007-10-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

It's no secret I'm a Brett Fa- I mean, Packers fan, and am simply giddy with the incredible start they've had this year.

This Sunday, the Packers are an UNDEFEATED 4-0 (along with the Colts, Cowboys, & Patriots) and are matched up with the Bears. Last season, Chicago blew the Packers completely out of the water by a score of 26 to Nothing. That was so early last season that there was no such thing as "Bad Rex."

Favre has now completely proven himself (as if he hadn't already), and we can tell by the fanfare and the tears of joy that a big part of why he came back was to break some RECORDS!!!

17th Season. Here is a man who has lived out his lifelong passion at the highest level. Yes, it can be done, but most of us aren't willing to make the sacrifices to get there.

Does that mean that anything else is useless? When you're asking yourself "How much can I get away with NOT doing," you find yourself looking forward to the escape of a Sunday afternoon, with your favorite sports hero pin-up on center stage. I look at him for three hours, and like most of the rest of us, football fans or not, will put off looking at myself in the mirror until the dreaded "Monday Morning."

Week 1 - Guts and Glory

2007-09-10T11:29:00.000-07:00

Chad Pennington guts it out in Week 1 and comes back after a seemingly crippling injury!

Brett Favre puts on a few classic moves in a gift of a win from the Eagles!

Tom Brady stands flat footed and Imperial as the leader of the Patriots!
They got it right at http://www.femalefan.com/....

"...once Sundays become consumed by the NFL, we do nothing. Or at least convince ourselves that we don’t ‘have to’ do anything because “Sunday = Football, and that’s that."

That describes NFL Sundays perfectly for me. I figure I'm "productive" enough if the breakfast dishes are washed before halftime.

Why do I feel so entitled to my football time?
Simply because I'm an American?

No, I have plenty of friends who spend their Sundays elsewhere. For one, cleaning all the sheets in the house is preferable to one minute of football. Actually, most of the time I watch football alone.

The loves we adore from afar can become most powerful. When I was growing up, a girl never had a chance to play in a game.

Now there are plenty of youth Flag Football Leagues for boys and girls around the country. I hope they play on and on.

Speaking the Truth

2007-08-23T09:17:00.000-07:00

On Michael Vick:

I've done things I've known are wrong. I have lied to hide my shame, I have occasionally shoplifted, but those were merely shrugs and Crackerjack prizes compared to this lowlife.

I'm sad for all of us. I think the NFL will become stronger for this in the end, but It's going to take banning Vick from the league.

More than anything else, when the pitchforks and torches are put away, I hope there is actual rehabilitation for him and his cohorts. Time and effort must be made to help them see the light (no LIE), because someone like him could make a difference as an activist against dogfighting.

Oh goodness, will I never put my naivete away?

On Eli Manning & Tiki Barber:
Manning had every right to speak up against Barber for insulting him about his leadership. It's true that Barber called his own leadership and heart into question when he announced his retirement mid-season, but let's put this into perspective. Commentator Marshall Faulk was right when he described this story as "fun."

The "He said/He said" of the NFL talking heads reminded me a little too much of gossip by the lockers in junior high. If Eli and Tiki really didn't want the publicity they wouldn't have this "feud" via the media.

The NFL is just relieved to have something fluffy to talk about that doesn't involve actual "fur."

"Before" the Verdict

2007-07-31T12:32:00.001-07:00

Hard to reserve judgement when

co-defendants are pleading guilty, but in fact I am still trying. Innocent first!

I agree with Mr. White of the Atlanta NAACP, it IS a crime to lambaste Michael Vick before he's had a chance to be heard.

Am I just holding out hope for some shred of innocence because I think he's such a handsome football star? Oh yeah. He's a dream on the field. A lighter style than almost any other QB I've seen, as if there are strings from above twisting him away from defenders.

Where will that appreciation go?

Should we be ashamed to have been (still want to be) fans?

I won't throw out my Michael Vick VHS tapes just yet. (Yes, I do have several.) For now, there is still a little bit of US Democracy hope, for me and whoever else was taken enough by Michael Vick in the sweet birdsong of his career.

The appreciation of Bill Walsh was overflowing in San Francisco. A chance for the sports world to remind us what can be accomplished by those who ARE able to keep their balance on that high pedestal.

One more Chance for Michael Vick

2007-07-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

Michael Vick, of the bounding speed
and terrible personal reputation, may
have at LEAST one more chance on the
football field this fall.

Why?

Because the Falcons drafted Joey Harrington. Yes, I think he is one of the good guys, but Harrington is a NON rushing quarterback who throws just as many interceptions as Vick.

Harrington is certainly not Plan A for the Atlanta coaching staff, but I wouldn't be surprised if they send him in for some reps as a Running Back this offseason. Pick up some moves, Joey!

Faithful... for a Day

2007-07-03T15:14:00.000-07:00

The best thing about last month's 49er Family Day at San Francisco's Monster Park was getting to run the 40 yard dash "against" my 8 year old son. They timed us and everything. I wonder, at what age will he actually be faster than me? I still let him win 99 percent of the time, and waiting in line at the 40 yard dash I worried that I was "spoiling" him. That I'm not giving him enough experience with reality. I stopped my wondering after I saw every single parent do exactly the same thing with their own kids.

SO, I guess we are NOT a Great Santini generation.

My only beef with the 49er event was how they advertised tours of the actual locker rooms, then when we got to the park we were told they had been "sold out." I didn't even know we needed a reservation! Better info next time, I hope, to avoid disappointment.

Oh well, I guess 49er fans are supposed to be used to disappointment -- as evidenced by the big selling t-shirts of the day:

"49er FAITHFUL."

...I guess you gotta be.

So Lawng, Keyshawn

2007-05-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

It's official! Keyshawn Johnson is retiring from the NFL and taking his turn as a TV sports analyst for ESPN.

Norby Williamson, ESPN executive vice president was thrilled with the on air job he did during the draft. "He delivered strong, candid opinions and passionate analysis, attributes that will make him a first-rate analyst in his new career."

Was he a selfish player? He wrote Just Give Me the Damn Ball when he was a rookie, but he backed up his bravado with performance. He won the Rose Bowl, the Super Bowl, and was elected to the Pro Bowl on numerous occasions.

I will miss that long stretch for the impossible pass...

NFL decisions support my "Theory of Stored Energy"

2007-05-02T10:07:00.000-07:00

1) Last Year
In the 2006 season, Parcells took vet QB Drew Bledsoe out of the game and put in backup Tony Romo. Three years on the practice squad and the sidelines had given Romo an understanding of the game, and the physical freshness to beat the fastest linebackers around the corner. He had all the talent, but hadn't taken the years of pounding. The guy was romping around the field with constant New Sneaker energy, and he brought significant success to the team.

2) This year's NFL Draft:
Surprisingly, another way to increase your Stored Energy Value is through injury. Many teams used their top picks this year to draft players who had been injured and had to sit out for a chunk of their college careers.

The Oakland Raiders drafted running back Michael Bush in the fourth round. He was favored to win the Heisman Trophy until he broke his leg halfway through last season.

DT Justin Harrell, Green Bay's first pick, missed most of his senior year because of a ruptured tendon in his bicep. Brandon Jackson, Green Bay's second pick, is coming off surgery in both shoulders. As a seventh round pick, how about DeShawn Wynn, whose rash of injury problems limited his playing time and effectiveness most of last year?

I'll just have to put my faith in this theory,

because with go-to RBs Ahman Green and William Henderson gone,

Jackson and Wynn are going to have to unleash a fair amount of stored energy.

I'm glad the Patriots took Randy Moss, especially since Ted Thompson said he was actually considering him for the Packers! In the sunset of his career, Bret Favre does not need a snarling showboat who has admitted to "dogging it" when he was at Oakland. He needs a snarling showboat who can give everything he's got to catch the ball.

The Panthers just let Keyshawn Johnson go. Give him a call, Green Bay.

Survive the Offseason - Tips #2, #3, #4, #5

2007-03-23T09:32:00.002-07:00

#2
Football History - Real
http://www.davesfootballblog.com has fascinating facts about football's origins.
He traces it back to China. (3/19/07 entry)

#3
Football History - Mine
I've been leafing through some of my old football trading cards from the '70s.

The Walter Payton rookie card is getting $175.00 bids on eBay,
whereas Phil Simms' rookie card is holding at .99 cents!

Hmm, I could spend the better part of the offseason tallying up imaginary auction money from my childhood hobby, or maybe I'll just tune into

#4 All the NFL Europe games (There are only 6 teams in the league) which are airing on NFL network starting April 14 and culminate with the World Bowl on June 23rd.

AND/OR

#5 : Three more new episodes of Friday Night Lights! (NBC Weds, 8pm)

Goings on in the plot: A high school coach keep the steroid use of one of his players a secret, QB Matt Saracen miraculouly gets his team to the state championship, and a beautiful single mom in her thirties succumbs quickly to the temptation of young Tim Riggins' physical charms.

Sure, it's hyped up drama, but there remains an emtional truth within this world. Wheelchair bound Herc never lets up on the tough love with Jason Street, the newly paralyzed star quaterback. Though Herc knows it would have been good for Jason's recovery to make the US Olympic Quad Rugby team, "It's a championship, not therapy."

Then there's the moment between the philandering Buddy Garrity and his sweet teenage daughter, Lyla, when Buddy solicits Lyla's help putting together a family photo album to try and win the forgiveness of his betrayed wife. Lyla refuses, saying "I don't want to take sides."

This reminded me quite a bit of my own experiences with my parents as they were splitting up. I couldn't give either of them everything I felt, and the crushed and frantic look that burned onto Buddy Garrity's face reminded me of my own father when he was afraid he was going to lose me, too.

So, what's that got to do with football? Hey, this is survial in the offseason, baby!

Following the Bouncing Players

2007-03-07T13:43:00.000-08:00

Free Agency Takes Flight

The Dallas Cowboys cut Drew Bledsoe loose. I think that's the least they could do for him, but I don't get why they signed Brad Johnson. He's been in the league even longer than Bledsoe, and is coming off a terrible season!

I was also surprised to learn that the Bears traded away Thomas Jones to the Jets, when the running combination of Jones and Benson was such a key to their great season. But hey, even Super Bowl Champion Colts RB Dominic Rhodes is visiting the Bills this week.

Green Bay let Ahman Green go, and even though he's been their leading rusher for years, I think it was a good move. I hope Henderson stays, but they still need an explosive back, and they'd better grab a good one in the draft. This time, let's hope they find someone without such a tendency to fumble

Everyone made such a big stink about the building and melding a young offensive line to protect Sir Brett, but don't forget, without a MAJOR running game, Favre is going to be forced to throw way too often, and that's when the interceptions start flying, too.

On the road to the draft / On the road to recovery

2007-02-28T09:55:00.000-08:00

NFL Combine wraps up today.
Huge and humble LSU QB Jamarcus Russell impressed a lot of coaches, whereas the favorite QB coming in, Brady Quinn, may have lost a little ground when he declined to work out for the combine. But Quinn is an amazing QB, and I hardly think he will not be snapped up quickly by the NFL. He's talented and increbily confident, not mention he's in amazing shape.

When he stepped on the scale to be weighed wearing just his workout shorts, the male announcers were falling over themselves to admire his physique. "Just look at that body!" They reported. (Hey, they said it first.)

Brett Favre finally has the ankle surgery that he's been putting off for four years!

The bone spur removal procedure went well and the Packers believe Favre will be ready for the post-draft veteran mini camp May 18th.

Funny to think of Iron Man Favre procrastinating surgery for four years. After 257 consecutive starts, broken thumb, concussions and three hundred pound lineman smashing him to the turf, what's he got to be afraid of?

The only thing I can think of is the fear that, at the age of 37, he wouldn't be able to make a full recovery. He'd gotten used to playing with the pain, but surgery was the unknown. My helmet's off to him for his belated bravery.

NFL Network Coverage of Scouting Combine Starts Today!

2007-02-22T08:54:00.000-08:00

February 22-28:

The top 300 NFL football prospects from colleges across the nation strut their stuff to try and earn a spot in the NFL draft. Live press conferences, all the physical drills and even player interviews will be broadcast this year.

Not only do the athletes have to be faster than the wind and bench press their guts out, they have to take The Wonderlic Test, an Intelligence test the NFL has been administering for about thirty years. ESPN's Jeff Merron provides some sample questions, if you're game. I admit, I got three wrong.

NFL prospects score about average. Chemists and doctors a bit higher, but when's the last time you saw a Chemist somersault into the end zone?

For the complete listing of NFL combine coverage, go to NFL Network TV schedule.

Survive the Offseason - Tip #1

2007-02-15T09:40:00.000-08:00

1. Watch Friday Night Lights on NBC, Wednesdays at 8pm.

For those not familiar, it's based on the book by H.G. Bissinger, and chronicles the small Texas town of Dillon and its passion for high school football. The hopes and dreams of the players are intertwined with the town itself.

The TV series opened with the star quarterback taking a hit that put him in a wheelchair. While certainly guilty of pulling emotional strings with its audience, this device has worked to shake much of the usual teenage artifice from the characters, and how they relate to each other.

Breaking records, but not our hearts..?

2007-02-06T10:44:00.000-08:00

Brett Favre means more to the Packers team and fans with each passing year, but I hope he's not coming back just to break John Elway's victory record or complete more touchdown passes than Dan Marino. He has to know he is beyond records and into legend already.

I'm thrilled that I don't have to see him go yet,

but I really won’t be able to stand it if I have to see him fail.

CONGRATS TO THE COLTS!

Debating Super Bowl commercials is not usually my thing, but I have to speak up against this one, disguised as an interview...

In the post game show with Deion Sanders, rookie Kelvin Hayden said a Tiki Barber "Cadillac" commerical inspired his dream that he was going to run an interception in for a score! If I'm not mistaken, this is product placement! I know he wasn't voted MVP, but does Hayden get a free Escalade for saying that?

How Close did You get to the "Big Game?"... PLUS Snacks!

2007-02-01T10:27:00.000-08:00

I am basking in the feeling of "one more meaningful game," and I don't care how many times I hear about Bears and Colts carrying the dreams of their families and communities!

Peyton Manning, after nine years in the league, college, high school, and back to the previous generation. Rex Grossman’s father played college ball, and grandfather played in the NFL - for the Colts, no less!

That’s not to say the parents, much less the public, hasn’t realized their own share of dreams, but the closest I ever got to my “big game’ was high school basketball, and you might have nicknamed me the "Archie Manning" of point guards.

http://www.porktenderloinsandwich.com/

If you're a Colts fan looking to serve some authentic Indianapolis food at your SB party, look no further than the Fried Pork Tenderloin Sandwich.

The pictures alone are enough to give me indigestion, but the natives swear by it.

Did you know a pro football player burns through about 4,000 calories during a game? Thanks, L.A. Times Health section, for reminding me that my guacamole dreams far out"weigh" my caloric couch reality.

Who scored more points this year,
the Colts or the Bears?

Answer: they both scored an EQUAL 427 points!

Last Stop before the Super Bowl

2007-01-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

'Twas the night before the Conference Championships and all through the league,
not a pundit really knew just which teams would succeed.

Peyton Manning in his helmet and Dungy in his cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's snap.

When what to their gaping eyes did appear, but Teddy Bruschi unchecked
and the fans holding their cheer.

On tackle, on center and Addai who can block
Halt Blitzn' right now or I'm going to get sacked!

Ha-ha.

Tomorrow the Super Bowl teams will be decided.
I'm rooting for Colts because Tom Brady's already won three Super Bowls.

You Sir, are No Devin Hester

2007-01-15T15:59:00.000-08:00

Those were my thoughts when the Chargers' Eric Parker fumbled that punt return in the AFC playoff game against the Patriots, because during the Bears game the day before, even though I was aghast at the way Hester kept boggling his punt returns, on none of said boggles did Hester actually LOSE the ball, and I give him credit for being able to recover from his jitters so quickly.

In fact, by the end of the game I was wondering why they don't put Hester in as a receiver some time? They could get him a short pass or set up a screen and see how many defenders he could fake out!

Football is fantastic because NO ONE gives up. The Pats defense was on its heels in the first half but the offense came in and kept firing away. Stalwart Tom said it for all the kiddies out there at his press conference, "Even though it doesn't all go well, you still have to believe in yourself and still have confidence and go out there and play."

Why wouldn't LT want to bust wide open seeing that dance at midfield after the game?

However, can someone fill me in on why he would slam Belichick at the press conference? That seems foolish, especially since he's been through the locker room and had an opportunity to prepare himself.

TONY ROMO's slip gives him heaviest chin in NFL

2007-01-11T12:07:00.000-08:00

Tony Romo started the year with something to prove, and ended it with something to overcome.

Football players talk a lot about character, about never giving up and getting up after you've been knocked down. I think Romo will use this to his advantage in the coming seasons. Maybe it's a good thing in the long run that he didn't get too much too fast. Look what happened to Ben Roethlesburger. Super Bowl Champ his rookie year, then flat on his face the next.

I hope Parcells comes back, and I think how they just lost will definitely be a factor in his decision. He will want to redeem himself.

Everyone's got sympathetic comments for Romo, from T.O. at the post game press conference to the bloggers at www.ivillage.com/femalefan. Several posts at the Cowboys fan forum are even floating the idea that the ball that slipped through Romo's fingers may have been "greased," but there's no getting away from the fact that this botched snap "monkey" is going to be on Romo’s back unless and until he can get the Cowboys beyond the first round of the playoffs, no matter how much his teammates (or even Carrie Underwood) try to comfort him.

It's so amazing how one mistake can instantly re-define a player. I just hope it doesn’t re-define his whole career.

I love my family, but I wanna watch the game!

2006-12-24T17:30:00.000-08:00

I know, 'tis more important to cherish precious moments with one's non-football fan family during the holidays, but why do I hafta miss the Eagles/Cowboys game?

So I'm not perfect. I "let" my son turn on a football game while we were staying out of town with my mother, and I found myself resorting to peeking over Mom's shoulder and into the other room, trying to glimpse a mirrored reflection flickering onto her glass china cabinet.

Alas, I will not, as it suggests at www.ivillage.com/femalefan, experience the pairing of candy canes and chicken wings this Christmas. I have a feeling I am not alone. Happy Holidays, and may all your TiVos run smoothly.

Football onscreen and off

2006-12-12T11:26:00.000-08:00

I went out in the backyard for a game of catch with my son after the second quarter of the Broncos/Chargers game, and didn't see Cutler make the plays that brought Denver back in it for a while, but what I did see was that call to go for it on 4th down with over 11 minutes to go in the game! The risk was just too big, the way the Chargers offense was playing. That's when I got the feeling that Shanahan was just fine with throwing the season away.

My son is 8 and we're at the point where I can throw a football as far as I want and he'll catch it. It's all well and good now, but if and when he wants to join a team I'm going to have some anxious times ahead and hope he doesn't get hurt.

My husband is not exactly a football widow, but I have to admit I enjoy knowing more about the game than he does. I don’t think I show off too much. I mean, know Keyshawn Johnson played with the Jets, Cowboys and Bucs before he joined the Panthers, but I can’t tell you what a “cover 2” is..

Here’s one I just recently noticed. When the referee stops the play with a yellow flag the penalty will usually go against the offense. When a flag is thrown and the play is allowed to continue, it’s because the offense will have a choice to accept or decline the penalty after they’re finished.

At www.ivillage.com/femalefan, I read about a couple of fellow California Girls who went to freezing Soldier Field for that game against the Vikings, and met some awesome Bears fans, so I was really pleased to get to see Hester and Grossman strut their stuff on Monday Night Football last night.

To me, all the replacement talk about Rex Grossman, even after last week's performance, just seemed absurd. Lovie Smith didn't have to point out to me that they won the game, that they only had two losses on the season. Those are the most important facts, and questioning replacing the QB against those facts makes no sense. The media started it but the public made it bigger, and then we hear last night from the MNF booth that Rex has just been beside himself about it, that he really is trying to figure out what's going on. Is his thinking too much? Or is this just adding fuel to the fire of a media and public that want to mess with an athlete's head?

The Bears can drive the ball, are explosive on special teams and have a fully conditioned defense. It's too bad we don't live a world where that gets a chance for purer expression

Is Keyshawn Johnson a Hall of Famer?

2006-12-05T11:01:00.000-08:00

Joe Theisman posed the question last night on Monday Night Football. To me there's no doubt. He's got his Super Bowl win with Tampa Bay, and he's creeping up on reception records held by Jerry Rice and Marvin Harrison.

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Oh, the frustration of that Lito Sheppard interception! I have always been a Keyshawn fan, and that hurt. Small mercy the refs let his helmet-launch slide without a yellow flag. Was there a touch of sympthy, humanity?

Broncos start Rookie Jay Cutler

2006-12-04T11:10:00.000-08:00

Last week I felt sorry for Jake Plummer being replaced. This week I feel sorry for Jay Cutler coming into a tough situation. But I was impressed with Cutler's confidence. They almost won! I think he will become a strong QB, just tough to watch the rookie throwing the ball up for grabs and tripping over his own feet.

www.ivillage.com/femalefan puts up contenders for Sunday Night's Sexist players, and this week I voted for Cutler simply because of those sad post-game puppy dog eyes.

What is up with the blame game this season regarding quarterbacks? Bledsoe and Plummer lose their jobs midseason, and now the media is after Chcicago Bears' Grossman. (Okay, it was a good idea to take out Bledsoe, I give you that.) But I've got to hand it to Lovie Smith for standing behind Grossman when the press keeps hounding him about putting in Griese. The Bears are 10-2, and if it's all about winning, then don't rock the boat! Sure, Grossman makes mistakes, so sometimes it's going to have to be the defense or special teams stepping up, and thank goodness for that this week.

Broncos are Making the QB Switch

2006-11-28T11:03:00.000-08:00

I feel for Jake Plummer. The Broncos are still in it at 7-4 and they abandon the vet for an untested rookie? Makes me wonder how much influence the media has on the decisions of the coaching staff. Similarly, I couldn't believe it last night when the MNF booth started theorizing about replacing Hasselbeck after he struggled in the first half. The guy has been out for a month and oh, by the way, it's snowing! I guess Kornheiser should just stick to ranking his "favorite bald guys." His commentating about Hasselbeck was just about as relevant as that.

Patriots Shine, Falcons Whine

2006-11-27T11:40:00.000-08:00

I have to hand it to Tom Brady Tom Brady, putting it on the line and being able to fake out Chicago Bears' Brian Urlacher and get the big first down himself. With as much experience defending the run as he's got, Urlacher still went for the little swaying hip move Brady put on him. When all is said and done, a fake can fake out the best of them and the real deal is still Tom Brady.

I'm just sorry Michael Vick had to try and do it all himself vs the Saints. I tuned in to see the Vick magic, I love the way he moves, but when the magician has to perform the same trick over and over again because his "assistants" can't hold onto the passes, the defense is gonna catch on, and the audience is gonna see what he's really got up his sleeve -- not a rabbit, but "the bird!"

A Female Fan on Sunday Night

2006-11-20T10:20:00.000-08:00

What does it mean to be a mom/football fan in this new era of the best game of the week airing on Sunday Nights?

It means sacrificing seeing the first and maybe second quarter of the game because I am cooking a lovely meal for my family.

It means my 8 year old son gets a chance to work on his play by play skills, as he yells to me from living room to kitchen, "Chargers have the ball, pass complete, first down!"

It means my husband and I sit at the coffee table and our son gets the TV tray. Of course, we don't call it a TV tray, we call it the "Sky Box."

By halftime everyone is happy, and I get to cheer and groan with my mouth full.

Cowboys vs. Colts

2006-11-20T08:58:00.001-08:00

Got the chance to see one NFL game from beginning to end this weekend, and it was a great one. I was rooting for the unbeaten Colts, but I have to admit, Romo's win was darn convincing, and it's nice that this young man got a win at his first start in Texas Stadium.

I don't know about anyone else, but I believe there needs to be something done about the timing of throwing the challenge flag. Late in the fourth quarter, the Colts were behind but had just completed a long pass and had gotten inside the Dallas twenty. Manning was doing his bit before the snap, pointing to defenders and pumping his leg up and down, then finally he gets under center, the play clock is ticking down to :o2, to :01 and then right as he snaps the ball the refs blow their whistles because Parcells throws the challenge flag. So, what would have been a completed pass at the goal line is whistled dead, the call on the field is upheld and the Cowboys are charged with a timeout. Well, boo hoo for them, they'll take that, because it forces the Colts to try again, and they fail to get the yardage, allowing Dallas to take over on downs and win the game.

There should be a rule! Something like, the coach's challenge can't interrupt the flow of the play. Once the QB is calling signals, you can't stop the play.

Dungee's later challenge, which in my mind was a desperate attempt to get the ball back, was at least made before Romo got under center!

"Field Position" What Women Get From NFL Football

2006-11-19T12:53:00.000-08:00

I have been a football fan since I was little. I like the crack of the tackle, and also what that contact represents. It's the crispness of the aggression. The ballet of steel and power, the driving ahead, the impossible bounce of the ball that swings momentum like a wrecking ball. Grace under pressure, broad shoulders, snug pants, white shoes, and speed. The player is as big and as strong as he can be. He uses one hundred percentgravity to become the opposite of gravity. It is athleticism and power and drama of the game, the teamwork, movement and personality of its players.

Perhaps my childhood football fantasies were bigger still because I was a girl. Because I knew that I would never actually be able to play. I was a physical, athletic child, refusing the pink Barbie aisle in favor of cowboy outfits and cap guns, but at the same time I was mooning over Drew Pearson's sweet smile on a Dallas Cowboys rookie card. I could have it all in watching football. And it made me different, it made me feel special. I traded cards with a boy around the corner, and played pick-up football with boys at the park (until they realized I was a girl).
Sunday afternoons meant rooting for the Oakland Raiders' in a fourth quarter come-from-behind win. Ken Stabler would be back to pass, the pocket crumbling aroundhim, and he'd find Dave Casper at the sideline, and Casper, the big tight-end, would tilt and bend over backward and pick the ball out the fog, sacrificing his body for the first down. The drive stays alive! And it has for me. Whether it's Tony Dorsett behind the fullback, Lynn Swannin the corner of the end zone or a Brett Favre bullet pass into joyous jubilation and winning smile. I like watching the whole game, and how it develops.

-- Fourth and one... This is a big play.
-- Montana is out and Young is in..."
-- Earl Campbell or Mike Alstott in a flat footed rumble, a barge barging ahead.
-- The neat, straight lines before the ball is snapped, and the pool-break effectwhen the center hikes the ball and everyone goes into action. Scattering and bashing,hidden patterns and a quaterback's threaded needle pass to a fully extended receiver.

I also like the mud soaked mistakes, the drama of the fumble, the pinched look of a coach.

When a player gets hit and grabbed at to the point of where his shoulder padshave been yanked over his jersey, I love it when the camera catches one of his teammatesfixing his shirt for him. In this mess and mass of competition and intimidation, I find this gesture so touching among the players. Team mates -- this whole sense of connection and belonging comes over me. It's the dance of a running back, the fakes and sidesteps. Moving in twodirections at once. I like the way it looks when the defender just misses the tackle andyou see his arms fall off his opponent like feathers.

I like the instant replays, slow motion that removes it for a few moments from the raw reality and takes it to another level of beauty. I like the close-ups. Televisionlets you see their eyes. Under all those pads they are a bunch of people who mustmaintain an amazing level of intensity through all of football's fits and starts. I won't sayI'd rather be capable of doing this, I'm just saying I appreciate what they have to do to getthe job done. It's like watching an action movie where the hero gets trampled by life'sadversity and keeps struggling -- banged up and bruised, muddy and thwarted by fate – to the end toward victory. Except in football it's just gotta be a team effort or the whole game is lost.