I grew up in Wisconsin cheering for the Green Bay Packers during football season. They are one tough team when it comes to playing in frigid weather—the more snow, the better. The fans are even tougher, filling the stands while bundled up from head to toe with blocks of cheese on their heads. Nothing stops a Packers fan from rooting for their team.
I am not a football addict, but I will watch the highlights of a Packers Game with Pack, my football bear, by my side. Now that I live in Virginia, I also pay attention to the Washington Commanders’ wins and losses. The Super Bowl grabs my attention with all the hype, new commercials, and flashy halftime show. But I haven’t been to a live football game since high school except for the one I attended when I went back to Milwaukee for my high school reunion eight years ago.
When I lived and worked in Oklahoma, my coworkers talked about the big game they watched over the weekend, and I would listen. Many Oklahomans cheer for the Dallas Cowboys, but I stayed true to the Green Bay Packers and made it a point to check the weekend sports news to stay abreast of the scores and winners of the week.
When I had a boyfriend who watched every NFL game on TV and knew all the stats, I decided I should learn more about football. I knew the basic rules, but I wanted to impress him and my friends with my sports savvy.
Crash Course in Football
by Dee Bowlin
All of my football-crazed friends
are talking about the big game.
How can I add my two cents worth
when my football savvy’s so lame?
I quickly enrolled in a class
of football terminology
but was flustered with those fumbles
and formations from A to Z,
confused by cutbacks and curls,
baffled by blocking and blitzes,
muddled by man-to-man coverage,
and distracted by tight ends and passes.
Despite all of that, I soon learned
to say these two simple things:
“What did you think of that defense?”
and “Hooray for cold beer and wings!”
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