Welcome to The Female Fan!
Before I get started, I wanted to tell you about me, explain my philosophy towards sports, and highlight a little of what I’ll be writing about in this blog.
I grew up with three older brothers who used to give me tests in football. I had charts in my room with the different offensive and defensive formations and I had to memorize them for random pop quizzes. I made sure I could pass the test because I just wanted to hang with my three brothers. Of course, hanging with the boys usually meant retrieving footballs from the bushes or running down the street whenever my oldest brother (who always played quarterback) accidentally threw the football too far for any civilian to actually catch. Even so, football was a fun, family affair. Every Sunday, we would gather around the TV and cheer on our San Francisco 49ers.
As I grew older I realized that not all girls/women were football fans. In fact, I started hearing that horrible term “football widow.” Well, I did some research and found that not all “football widows” really hate football; some just didn’t understand the game. I decided to write a book called The Female Fan Guide to Pro Football to help these women. After it came out, the NFL hired me as a consultant to design and implement a course called Football 101 to teach women about football. Stay tuned here for snippets the current course taught by Andrea Kremer, now at NBC.
This Female Fan site is designed for any woman at any age or any stage of life. If you’re in high school and want to follow what’s happening at your weekend football games, tune in. If you’re in college and want to hang with the guys or talk about something fun and timely between classes, tune in. If you’re working and wondering what everyone is talking about at the water cooler on Monday morning, tune in. If you’re single and want to find something timely and interesting to talk to your dates about, tune in. If you’re a mom and have kids playing (or planning on playing sports) tune in. If you’re a Grandma and have grandkids playing sports, you obviously want to be hip and know what’s at the center of their universe, so tune in.
If you know a lot about sports, let me know what’s on your mind. If you don’t know anything about sports, let me know what you need to know.
Comments
I appreciate all of your information b/c I don't know a thing about football. I am a mom and my son loves it - therefore, I need to learn!! Looking forward to reading more from you!!
This is such a great idea. I want my husband to relax and enjoy watching football but it isn't much fun when I keep asking questions. So my first question to you is how do you figure out when there is a 1st down? And are there rules about when should you kick for a field goal?
Thanks for your help!
I'm more of a softball player, but I'm gearing up for football season. My dad's favorite team is where he grew up (Oakland), and since we live in a different city, I'm sort of partial to my local team (Go Chargers!). How do I tell him I want to root for the enemy (his words, not mine)?
Thanks.
I'm more of a softball player, but I'm gearing up for football season. My dad's favorite team is where he grew up (Oakland), and since we live in a different city, I'm sort of partial to my local team (Go Chargers!). How do I tell him I want to root for the enemy (his words, not mine)?
Thanks.
I just bought your book and I can't wait to get it in the mail. My boyfriend loves football and I can't stand it. He always feels like he needs to skip games so that I am not bored. So I am really going to try to learn! Thanks!!
I am a huge football fan and it's so great to see other women who are as well. I too read your book and loved it. Welcome to iVillage!
This is so great! I am so excited to learn a little something about football. I am single and I want to be a guys girl and a girly girl! Looking forward to all of your blogs and hot tips!
I'm a newlywed and really want to try to get into Sunday Night Football so my husband and I can spend that time together. I've had a hard time getting into it so I'm glad you're doing this!
This is great. My husband would love this!!
this is so great. i am a mother of 3. a perfect chance for me to learn football and be able to participate when everyone is into monday night football instead of just being responsible for the snacks.
it's phyllis again. just got my first lesson--football is sunday night too on NBC!!!!!!!!!!
Growing up, my dad was a Jets fan and my grandfather was a Giants fan, so I always tried to stay out of the middle of this potentially deadly battle by ignoring football completely. But going to a live game showed me it can be a lot of fun, so I'm going to give it a fair shot this season!
I LOVE football!!! This is great. Sundays you can find me in my robe, makin' eggs and watching fooball! And NO it's not cause of the boys in the tight pants...haha. It's the action! See....you only thought MEN watched football!!! =) This brings women and men together!!
I listened to your interview on the Indy station Radio Now (93.1) this morning and was excited to hear about your column. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us! I grew up going to football games with my dad, but I was a coco-quarterback (i.e., I only went for the hot chocolate and socializing). Now that I have family members playing football, I'd like to know why everyone around me is cheering. Your column will definitely help me.
How exciting to be able to learn about football and be able to watch with my husband on Sunday night's
i look forward to learning more about football.
It is so refreshing to hear that there are other girls who are excited about football! Growing up, I knew every player on every team and watched the Buckeyes every Saturday and the Steelers every Sunday! After having kids and working on Sundays I've lost the connection and I am looking forward to reconnecting. Thanks!
I read your book Female Fan Guide to Pro Football and LOVED it. I highly recommend it! Your book was factual, fun and an easy read. As a married woman to a major Steelers and Penn State fan, it is imperative that I know a few things about football! I am excited to brush up on football with your new website and blog. BFF
You have to check out "Friday Night Lights" on NBC this Fall. You are going to love the emotion of this show -get out your handkercheif and your vocal chords - it's about the relationships, the stories and it's not just about the game on and off the field but the relationships between the students, families, the team, the community and the players; you have to check it out on TUESDAY nights. Strong hearts can't lose!
I am from Brazil and there we play that other kind of football. I moved to the USA 8 yrs ago and have been trying really hard to understand this game that make Americans go crazy!!! For the little I know I like it very much. My boyfriend is a huge college football fan and I am here to thank you for educating us, especially the ones that did not grow up around this culture and is literally football cluless!!
I have to older brothers that played High school football thats howIlearned about football I love football.I'm a Steeler's fan I watch it every weekend.
GO STEELER'S
i just saw the segment on nbc this morning thank you it feels so good to see that other women love the game too can i please get more info on football 101 i would have loved to be at that football camp
my kids love sports and adore watching football with their dad. but the ads that accompany the games are anything but family friendly, so we don't watch as much as we'd like. the ads are opportunities for media literacy discussions, but we are getting tired of the limitless sexuality, especially where the man seems to be in charge. with more women trying to learn about football and watching (sometimes with their daughters), is there any chance that these ads will become less sexually explicit?
Growing up I never had a male figure or brother to teach me about football. When I married my sports loving husband, I soon found myself loving sports, especially football! We love watching football together and imagine the drama in our house with him being a Giants fan and myself a Colts fan. However, we recently moved to Dallas and both find ourselves compelled to support the local team having never lived in a state with a pro team of their own.
I highly recommend joining a fantasy football league. It is a really fun way to get involved in the game and really makes it a more personal experience for you. But watch out it is addictive, especially if you are a competive personality. I am one of only two girls in my league and it is highly gratifying to beat all those highly experienced and educated male football fanatics.
I'm a huge football fan - but knowing more is always a plus - thanks!!
I'm from Indianapolis and was listening to the radio station you were talking to this morning on my way to work! So, I just HAD to check out the site! I've always been a huge football fan (and of course, i LOVE the COLTS!!!), and think it's great that you have this blog, so other girls can see how fun football really can be!!
Oh my Goodness thank you SOOO MUCH for what i;m sure will be a GREAT book CANT WAIT TO READ IT!!!! It will be alot easier to understand it from a females point of view. CANT WAIT
This is a why didn't I think of this moments. This is brilliant. I am also a football fan. I am the oldest of three and I used football as a way to get close to my dad. Now I love it. After having three kids myself, it is more difficult to follow the games and the new players. I recently joined a fantasy football league. I am looking forward to reading your blog. Help a girl out!
I love the book!!! What a fantastic idea to enable wives to connect with their football crazed husbands. Now I can actually speak his language!
I looking forward to reading your column to keep on top of the game.
BFF
This so great... I am so happy that I have a source for football information. Now I can stay in the conversation.
Thanks so much
Thanks for all your comments. One of the questions Jordan asked was how to tell her Dad that she's rooting for the enemy. My advice is to make a friendly wager for the season. Whomever wins takes the other out to ice cream. Make it a fun rivalry and he should come around.
I bought the Female Fan gulde because my husband was always made me feel foolish when I asked questions. Now I make him look like a fool (which he is).
I bought the book Female Fan Guide for my wife. She read it and started watching the games with me. It really helped her get a handle on what was going on. The most important thing for me is that I don't have to explain everything over and over again. Great idea for the gals.
Do you have a site like this on the NHL ?
I have always like football but this is the first time I have actually done pix (or is it picks?) with my boyfriend. I understand a little on how the spread works and had fun doing it together. If you could share information on what a spread really means I would appreciate it. I need to start working on my week 2 pix or picks! Thanks
Oh my gosh! Other women enjoy football too? I started learning about football from my hubby when we met 7 years ago. At first I was the official beer-getting, wing-making, answer the phone and "tell 'em I'm busy" hostess. Now wings are made before the game and you best get your own beer fool...I'm watching the game! And don't even call on Sundays after noon.
It's nice to know a "sisterhood" exists.
Betsy,
Just thought I would let you know that I watched "Weekend Today" this morning and Campbell Brown is winning the fantasy football pool.....she picked strictly by looks. :) It's perplexing to those of her colleagues who use stats to choose but it's fun for her to be able to announce that she is winning and for those of us who would most likely use her method of selection.
I had my own fantasy team couple of years ago.I just picked the weirdest names I could... Algae Crumpler,etc. This year I have the opposite...5 Johnson's, a Smith, Brown, Jones.It is fun and it makes Sun games more interesting. Thanks for a great site!
I had an older brother who used to quiz me about football before I was allowed to go to an Eagles game. Then i married a sports nut. I recently started the football monologues and then i found your site. I love it!
What a great idea , here's to all the female's who always wanted to know , but were afraid to ask. I love football !
How would one go about contacting you. I couldn't find an email address or anything on the site. Please let me know- I have some great Football-related info you may be interested in! Feel free to email me at: lknapp@attnews.us
Thanks!
It is very cool to see that so many women are interested in Football. I am the owner of the CENTRAL PA VIPERS. Central PA's only Full Contact WOMEN'S FOOTBALL Team. WWW.CENTRALPAVIPERS.COM.
We play under the NWFA-National Womens Football Assoc. We are always looking for women who are tough enough to play FULL CONTACT football. We always welome new fans to come by and say HI as well. have a good one
YAHOO!!!! I just found this blog and am sooooooooooooooo excited about it. I am a football nut!!! I eat, sleep and drink football.
I need to learn everything about football so my husband and i have more things in common.
Betsy: Great idea on this one. I work in sports, and I am the only woman in my office, on my fantasy football team and on the couch on Sundays with the boys. I love it though, don't get me wrong. I hear your comment on how knowing sports is GREAT for your Friday night date plans...It has done wonders for my love life. Keep up the good work.
I learned to love football bacause my husband is a sports nut.Your FemaleFan website has helped me learn some of the games strategy.thanx loads from a previously ignorant female.
Just have to post to all you female fans out there...I was invited to join an all-guys fantasty football league this year (my first time!) with a bunch of guys in my office, and have taken soooo much smack from the 11 of them in the league. I, the girly-girl-princess who they thought would come in dead last, has made it to the final game in the playoffs! If I win this weekend, I will take all...their money AND their pride!! :)
I am a huge football fan. I call myself a "fanatic" and that is my screen name on my favorite team's blog. I too had a brother that taught myself and my sister about the game of football when we were 18 and 21 years old. So I've been a fan for 24 years. The best thing in the world was that my son played when he was a teen and by nephew played..it was so fun attending the games. Also, my second husband and I both are huge fans. I eat, breath, sleep football! I am so glad I found this website. I was responding to my favorite teams blog and saw that you had commented and was intrigued and copied your web site and am thrilled! I know that there are tons of female fans and I'm glad that now I have a place to relate to!
