The calendar hasn’t officially flipped to September yet but there’s one thing that everyone’s thinking about and no, I’m not speaking of the “great” Halloween deals that have been going on since the early part of July at your K-mart and Targets of the world. I’m talking about football season.
This time of year is always an exciting and anxious time for me personally but I know the previous statement is unanimous feeling among friends and family as well. For me, a new football season means my often-abused and under-appreciated Rams will be back at a .500 record of 0-0 to start the year and I always have the initial feeling that this is the year we get back on track.
As a former season-ticket holder of the Rams, I’ve experienced the highest of highs (winning the Superbowl in 1999 & runner-up in 2001) but more so, the lowest of lows (all but 1 season of losing records since 2005 to present day). You see, my Rams haven’t been good for some time now (more than 8 years now to be exact) but nonetheless as big of a fan as I am, it’s not all about winning and losing.
Using my prior working knowledge in the sports industry, I’ve realized sports, in this case football, serve as not only as a national pastime but something larger and more intangible. It provides us with a sense of familiarity, tradition, form of entertainment and when attending, a unique chance to impress a friend, date, or business client.
Bigger than the wins and losses, football season is a time where get-togethers are about the food, drinks, and casual conversation. Whether that is in the comfort of your own home, a friend’s house, or a tailgate spot outside of the stadium, the feeling is the same.
Regardless of whether you’re a die-hard fanatic of said team or just a casual on-looker, it’s much more than just a game with an oddly shaped ball. Football season signals the changing of seasons from summer to fall, the little ones back in school, endless amounts of home-made drinks/appetizers, breaking the dust off of your dependable grill and most importantly, lazy Sundays spent lounging around in the living room while only leaving for commercial bathroom breaks. Let’s be honest, it doesn’t get much better than that!
