Who says women can’t be football fanatics?
Since it is a slow week in football, I thought I would sit down and discuss some of my top pet peeves as a female NFL fan. This is not all inclusive, but maybe the rest can be fodder for an ongoing series…
Pet Peeve #1: “Wait…women watch football?”
An estimated 44% of the NFL-viewing audience is female. The NFL is also the preferred sport of women ages 12 and older. So why is it that men are so SHOCKED when a woman legitimately follows the game? After moving to Houston, I spent most of Peyton Manning’s rookie season in our local Dave and Buster’s every Sunday watching the Colts game. When your team is 3-13, those wooden chairs feel even harder and the day feels like an even bigger waste than if one had spent those three hours at home watching. Still, I could not keep myself away and my sweet husband tagged along to keep me company since he no longer had his beloved Oilers to watch. Well, he was mostly keeping up with his fantasy football players at D & B’s, but I still enjoyed the company. A few years later, when we moved into our house we decided to get NFL ticket. The DirectTV guy installing my satellite had the nerve to ask me which team my husband was going to follow!
Pet Peeve #2: “She probably only watches because of the cute guys and/or helmets.”
A few years ago, I saw a beer commercial during a football game that really infuriated me. It showed some guys at the office playing in a Pick ‘Em football league. The guys could not figure out how the woman in the office kept winning every week. The camera pans to the woman’s cubicle where she is surrounded by her other girlfriends and they are picking teams based on how cute the logo is! Then was some dumb tagline that tied this archaic stereotype to how men should drink this particular beer. I cannot remember which one it was or I would totally call it out! How offensive, right? I was so angry that for months I wanted to write a letter telling this company off. I never did get around to writing my irate letter, but I carried around that grudge for months.
Pet Peeve #3: “Only men are fanatical enough for fantasy football.”
Katie Aselton as Jenny representing women fantasy football players on “The League.”
Newsflash: Women can and do have enough knowledge to comprehend fantasy football. I have been playing fantasy football for 16 years now. When I started, the commissioner actually had to COUNT our points and there was no such thing as an online draft. Times sure have changed! Last year, at a local establishment known for hosting many draft parties, I saw a league of ALL WOMEN. How cool is that? How cool is the show “The League” which has a woman who talks smack with the rest of the guys? Still, it really irks me when somebody is talking about fantasy football and directs the conversation to my husband or to a guy friend I am with. Hello! Why do some guys just ASSUME that woman don’t play fantasy football? I recently saw a statistic that estimated 20% of fantasy football players are now women. Plus, our highly refined verbal skills allows for much more interesting smack talk!
Pet Peeve #4: “Women wear pink 24/7.”
This has been bugging me for YEARS. Pink bedazzled football jerseys drive me bananas. I am not 10 years old and I do
not need to see my favorite player’s jersey in cotton candy pink and sparkly sequins in order to wear it. I follow the sport and therefore can handle the REAL team colors. I find this so offensive because it really underestimates why a woman like myself would follow sports. It implies that I can’t handle the real thing and making it more “girly” is the way to draw me in. I have boycotted pink bedazzled jerseys since their inception. Sports apparel has come a long way but everytime I see a pink jersey in a woman’s size, it makes me see RED!
What are your top pet peeves as a female football fan?
Could NOT agree more. The guys that know me respect my opinion. My boyfriend and guy friends ask my advice about their fantasy teams on the reg. We discuss players, teams, organizations, trades, contracts, injuries, rules, etc. But much like Ms. C Sports Phanatic, I work at a sports bar and the male patrons are quick to blow me off because I’m “just a girl.” The pink jerseys are my biggest pet peeve, though. Real fans wear team colors.
I couldn’t agree more! It’s ridiculous! I bartend and most of my clientele is male and they’re always insultingly surprised I not only follow the NFL but know what I’m talking about. Adding salt to the wound is the fact I usually know more than them, but I get discounted because I’m a chick! Great post
Cool story bro, tell it again! ^^
By the way, Pittsburgh native and die hard Steelers fan. So, are you implying that we are one of your pet peeves?
Are you serious? She’s just sharing her opinion. You didn’t HAVE to read this. And even if you did, did you seriously have to go out of your way to be a dick? Show some respect.