Women and football

[Tunescribe]

Following up on World Series-related discussion from another thread, I made the following observations:

Many women embrace baseball because they understand it and shy away from football for the opposite reason. I hear this time and time again from women, "I'd like to get into football but I don't understand what's going on. It just looks like a bunch of players running into each other, falling down, getting up and doing it again."

If more women understood football -- which is a more inherently exciting, colorful, emotional and action-packed sport -- I'd bet they'd choose football over baseball. The NFL, the Patriots organization and fans like us can and should do a better job of educating women about football. The best female football fans are those who grew up watching the game with fathers and brothers took the time to explain what's going on.

I personally would LOVE to see more women getting into football and have it be less segregated, and we guys only have ourselves to blame for that not happening. One aspect of that is men using football Sunday as a reason to get away from the family/wife/girlfriend for "guy time" for a day. That's understandable to a degree, but I think we have more to lose than to gain by not encouraging them to share the passion of this sport along with us.

What are your feelings on this subject?

 

[Na_polian]

Following up on World Series-related discussion from another thread, I made the following observations:

Many women embrace baseball because they understand it and shy away from football for the opposite reason. I hear this time and time again from women, "I'd like to get into football but I don't understand what's going on. It just looks like a bunch of players running into each other, falling down, getting up and doing it again."

If more women understood football -- which is a more inherently exciting, colorful, emotional and action-packed sport -- I'd bet they'd choose football over baseball. The NFL, the Patriots organization and fans like us can and should do a better job of educating women about football. The best female football fans are those who grew up watching the game with fathers and brothers took the time to explain what's going on.

I personally would LOVE to see more women getting into football and have it be less segregated, and we guys only have ourselves to blame for that not happening. One aspect of that is men using football Sunday as a reason to get away from the family/wife/girlfriend for "guy time" for a day. That's understandable to a degree, but I think we have more to lose than to gain by not encouraging them to share the passion of this sport along with us.

What are your feelings on this subject?

My feeling on this? The love of my life is a Packer Fan, AND Owner... I'd rather watch football with her than anyone else... :rocker:

 

[BradyManny]

As I said in another thread, I disagree.

More women AND men watch football b/c it's a more exciting game, they don't play as often so it's more accessible and does not involve daily participation for 7 months.

On top of which, I don't know why women would be "confused" by football.

 

[xmarkd400x]

This poll/post is just plain silly; you just happen to be posting on a male-dominated board. To insinuate that anyone who is not a straight male does not understand (and therefore does not like) football is asinine.

Get a grip. I know plenty of girls who like both football and baseball. It just happens that more females have experience with a baseball like substance (softball) and therefore have a more fundamental understanding.

Women would learn about football if they chose to. They don't need "encouragment" to help their (seemingly implicit) feeble minds.

 

[Tunescribe]

On top of which, I don't know why women would be "confused" by football.

You don't talk to many women, do you. Seriously, I've found that many women just need to be "coached up" on the basics and once they understand it, they become fans.

 

[CTPatsFan]

While my feelings when I first got my tix were along the lines of an escape from the Mrs., now I wish she were able to make it to more games. Now that we've got 4 kids it's a bit harder, but in a few years when my oldest can watch the other ones I hope to get her up to some more games so she doesn't dislike football season so much. Just as a side note, I don't keep her from going anywhere with anyone. In fact I encourage it. She just chooses not to most of the time. Yet I still get grief for going to 6-8+ games a year.

I plan on bringing my daughter to some games in a few years when she'll appreciate it a bit more. That way I can get it ingrained into her. My wife came from a baseball (NYY) family so football was always secondary. She'll watch games with me and enjoy it, in fact I brought her to the Snow Bowl Miami game and she had a blast.

I can sort of understand since I wouldn't want to be cooped up with all my kids for the day!

I see He Ban Me voted already.

 

[PatsRI]

Actually before I got married that was one of the best ways to find out if I was going to like a woman, take her to a game. Not coincidently my wife lived in CA and I was out here when we hooked up, she bought me tickets to a Monday Night SF-DET Monday Night Game and saw Montana's last game he ever played in for SF for a gift. I figured she was to be the one (though she's a Bills fan) and she sat through the Snow Bowl without complaint. Plus have you seen the Pats panties et al that they are coming out with nowadays. Very nice .

 

[AirForcePatFan]

I grew up playing football with the guys, it's a Texas thing, and I'm a gal... I embarrass guys with football knowledge about what's going on with every team... I have guys at work that come to me for their daily football updates and of course, they can't stand me right now because my team is undefeated... lol.. You just aren't hanging out with the "right football" women, I know some other women who are knowledgable about football...

 

[PAPatsjunkie]

Yeah, I'm a woman, and I followed football before I ever watched baseball. I'm not sure what youre getting at, that somehow women have a harder time understanding football than men? It's not that difficult to understand, my small female brain caught on pretty fast.

P.S. I am reminded of a boyfriend I had in high school, one day I had to sit him down and draw out for him how the downs work. The guy was 19 and had no idea.

 

[patchick]

Personally, I learned to like the game by watching with my dad. Of course, I didn't have any brothers. I wonder if I would have gotten the same football attention from my dad if I had? If you want football-watching women, the best way to start is raising football watching girls.

That's another whole kettle of fish, though. I've complained about this before, but the commercials that run during a 1:00pm game are nasty! You get terrifying, bloody ads for horror movies; men discussing their erectile dysfunction and women daring them to "do better"; even language you don't want your kids to pick up. On the upside, the computer-generated first-down line has been a huge boon to explaining the game to young kids. Now you can get them into the idea by just saying "they have 4 turns to try to get to the yellow line, otherwise it's the other team's turn."

BTW, I also suspect that a lot of men don't really understand football either! Perhaps they're just more likely to appreciate the violent spectacle regardless. All those videos of "the NFL's most bonecrushing hits!" do nothing for me. But the draft, ahh! The perfect combination of football and shopping.

 

[nukin]

My girlfriend is sexy in my brady jersey... thats about as far into football as she goes.

 

[patchick]

you just happen to be posting on a male-dominated board.

Actually, you're making a bit of an assumption there yourself. There are plenty of women posters here, including quite a few who don't advertise themselves as such.

 

[AirForcePatFan]

I should also mention that I don't like baseball, I find it immensely boring to watch so if the Sox lose, you will have no sympathy from me... It's football and horse racing for me...

 

[Bella*chick]

I don't understand the intricacies of baseball. And I find the constant spitting gross.

 

[Tunescribe]

... you just happen to be posting on a male-dominated board.

Nah ... Ya think? Actually, there are some very cool female fans here at Patsfans.

To insinuate that anyone who is not a straight male does not understand (and therefore does not like) football is asinine.

No insinuations at all here, just the factual statement that many women shy away from the sport because they don't understand it.

Get a grip.

On what? Your insulting attitude? That's self-evident.

I know plenty of girls who like both football and baseball. It just happens that more females have experience with a baseball like substance (softball) and therefore have a more fundamental understanding.

A "baseball-like substance" ... Won't go there for now, but you're contradicting yourself and reinforcing my point by suggesting that women more readily embrace baseball because it's more familiar to them.

Women would learn about football if they chose to. They don't need "encouragment" to help their (seemingly implicit) feeble minds.

I don't understand the sports of curling or jai ali, does that mean I have a feeble mind? I'm not at all suggesting that women have feeble minds. Many of them simply feel put off by football's inherent complexity compared to other sports, and willingly become fans given an understanding of the basics and encouragement by someone who cares to share it with them.

 

[godef]

Love them both.

 

[PatsDeb]

Woohoo!! I am a woman and I LOVE football!! As Tune stated, it was my upbringing that made me that way. Not only did my Dad & brothers love football, but also my mother and her two sisters who were always at our house. THey, in turn grew up with a Dad who was a big sports fan (believe it or not, my maternal grandfather died of a heart attack at a BC-BU football game).

It's actually been great for my marriage since my hubby is a big football fan too! Before we had kids we would relish a Sunday where we could watch as many pro games as possible. We loved late in the season when they would show two games on Saturday too!! Nirvana!!

We've been season ticket holders since 1993 and have managed to go to all three winning Superbowls. It is our one vice as a couple that we spend a lot on football (this year we installed a huge projection TV for game watching), but we really have no other hobbies to speak of. Now that we have 4 young kids we can't really spend all day Sunday glued to the TV (bummer), so the only game that is a "must" is the Pats game. Going to the games themselves is awesome. My hubby thought seriously about giving up our tickets because getting to and from the game has become such a hassle and we are getting old and grumpy, but I wouldn't hear of it!

Gentlemen, educate your wives & girlfriends!! There are a lot of "girl" angles to exploit! For instance, I love that the competition with Indy, the fued with the Jets, etc. are like one big soap opera!! We ladies love this stuff!!

Ladies too, if you are looking for a special someone, you have no idea how attractive you appear to many men when you can name the Pats starting offensive line!

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Personally, I learned to like the game by watching with my dad. Of course, I didn't have any brothers. I wonder if I would have gotten the same football attention from my dad if I had? If you want football-watching women, the best way to start is raising football watching girls.

That's another whole kettle of fish, though. I've complained about this before, but the commercials that run during a 1:00pm game are nasty! You get terrifying, bloody ads for horror movies; men discussing their erectile dysfunction and women daring them to "do better"; even language you don't want your kids to pick up. On the upside, the computer-generated first-down line has been a huge boon to explaining the game to young kids. Now you can get them into the idea by just saying "they have 4 turns to try to get to the yellow line, otherwise it's the other team's turn."

BTW, I also suspect that a lot of men don't really understand football either! Perhaps they're just more likely to appreciate the violent spectacle regardless. All those videos of "the NFL's most bonecrushing hits!" do nothing for me. But the draft, ahh! The perfect combination of football and shopping.

As usual, you are right on.

I believe that many women, AND many men as well, don't understand football for a number of reasons.

1: Other interests

2: Football is just plain violent.

3: You sometimes need some kind of mentor/father figure/older brother to foster that interest. Especially in Boston, which is the ONLY city in the country that follows baseball more than football.

There are certainly millions of women who watch and understand football, or at least enjoy it. Same goes for men.

Women are clearly catching up to men in football knowledge, and closing the gap BECAUSE WOMEN ARE SMART AND THEY DO WHAT THEY WANT.

I think more men can relate to a sport which involves hitting people, but there are plenty of men out there these days who are push overs and there are a lot of women who seem to be getting aggressive. But you can be a fan without participating in the underlying angry psychology of the game.

My wife and my sisters all watch football. I mentored them by taking the time to explain the game, just like I would have if they were boys.

Women are playing catch up when it comes to watching football, and the NFL will do everything to insure that most women don't ignore football like they may have twenty or thirty years ago. No problems there.

Patchick: As far as the ads that go along with football, it is a truly pathetic and disgraceful sign of the times that we live in. What burns my ass is when they show dead women on those atrocious CSI commercials at noon time on Sunday. WE GET IT ALREADY. This vile crap has no place on TV, and ads have no right to show disturbing images at noon on Sunday.

This issue goes way beyond what your politics are (I don't support either political party, BTW).

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

I don't understand the intricacies of baseball. And I find the constant spitting gross.

HELL YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[patchick]

I don't understand the intricacies of baseball. And I find the constant spitting gross.

OMG...I actually do know a ton about baseball because it was my big sports love as a kid. (I've outgrown it since. ) I'll occasionally have a Red Sox game on the radio while I'm washing dishes, but that's as far as it goes -- I hadn't seen a game on tv in years and years. But this week my kids came home from school with a case of World Series fever, so I said sure, you can watch the first inning before bed.

All I could see was the spitting. Spitting on the floor, spitting on their hands, spitting on the field...there's just a constant stream of goo coming from those men's mouths. The only guys not spitting were the ones chewing giant wads of gum with their mouths open. What the heck???