Are YOU Ready?

We are quickly approaching the most wonderful time of the year.

After the lockout chaos and free agency frenzy, after the makeshift player-organized workouts and last-minute training camps, pre-season games have finally arrived for the NFL. Summer lifting and conditioning has transitioned into intense football camp for college teams. High school teams are preparing for their first games in a couple weeks. I have survived yet another offseason. It’s finally here.

It’s time for another glorious football season.

There is a common misperception (held by most people I know) that I love football because I love the players. I will not lie to you – I do love the players. I often entertain brief fantasies where I am a professional stay-at-home mom (and blogger, of course), married to an NFLer, driving our kids to football camp in a black Range Rover. I would marry Brian Urlacher with absolutely no hesitation. I swoon over Mark Sanchez, own a Chris Cooley jersey, and defend the attractive merits of AJ Hawk to naysayers. I have Chris Long desktop backgrounds, try to suppress my crushes on Ben Roethlisberger and Peyton Hillis, and I cannot even start with Tim Tebow.

So, in a way, you’re right. I do love the players. However, all of this pales in comparison to my love for the game itself.

I love football - everything about it. Over the last ten years, my football fanaticism has become a defining characteristic of my personality. Between the months of August and January, it dictates my weekend plans (and Monday…and Thursday…), occupies my every thought, and determines most of my wardrobe. It alienates me from loved ones who refuse to watch games with me, it gets me in trouble for yelling and cussing too much, and it sends my heart rate through the roof. Every fall, it becomes part of who I am and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

To claim that my love of football is based solely on the players is simply false – erroneous on all counts. My love of the game is nearly religious, something that evades accurate explanation.

It’s the linebacker who perfectly reads the offense and comes up with a huge tackle for a loss. It’s seeing the offensive line’s breath on a chilly afternoon as they position themselves on the line of scrimmage. It’s a quarterback’s audibles, somehow rising above the raucous cheering of the crowd. It’s going for it on 4th and inches. It’s the successful completion of an onside kick. It’s pre-game motivational speeches in the tunnel and the excitement and intensity of players before a big game. It’s handshakes at midfield before the coin toss. It’s the rewarding feeling of points scored by the defense – safety or interception. It’s the tell-tale Gatorade dumping at the end of a long, successful season. It’s “Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones and it’s Guns N’ Roses’s “Welcome to the Jungle.”

It’s jumping into Mirror Lake, chirping Michigan fans, “Hang on Sloopy,” and dotting the I. It’s beautiful long passes being knocked down by perfect, close coverage by the secondary. It’s yelling “Who-Dey?!” with pride, even though you know the answer is everyone. It’s a military plane fly-by before kickoff. It’s the crunch of autumn leaves in the parking lot while walking to the front gate. It’s the sound of helmets clashing on the field. It’s clumps of turf stuck in a helmet and shoulder pads popping out. It’s the comforting feeling you get from pulling on an old jersey. It’s the smell of hot dogs cooking on the grill in the parking lot. It’s two-point conversions and hilarious touchdown celebrations. It’s screaming at refs for unrealistic ‘Roughing the Passer’ calls and horrible spots. It’s wearing a cheesehead and stomping on Terrible Towels. It’s holding hand-warmers in your pockets during December games and never once regretting the trip. It’s intense rivalries, group chants, and those Friday night lights. It’s primal screaming and veins bulging after a critical sack. It’s breaking a tackle for 30+ yards. It’s taking the field to the booming of fireworks. It’s student sections, personalized t-shirts, and hugs and tears after a tough loss.

It’s a game-changing interception returned for a touchdown by a player who needs an oxygen mask afterward. It’s changing your starters at the last minute for fantasy football. It’s holding hands with loved ones and closing your eyes because you can’t bear to watch the play. It’s that one miserable Sunday when your favorite team has a bye week. It’s Tom Hedden’s “A New Game” and the Monday Night Football theme song. It’s an announcer unable to contain his excitement and yelling his encouragement to a player. It’s post-game interviews and switching to SportsCenter for even more coverage. It’s breaking records, going undefeated, huge upset wins, and battling until the end. It’s local stores closing early to attend the game. It’s a quarterback and his receiver on the same page. It’s conversations at the store because of the jersey you’re wearing. It’s coaches and teammates consoling a player after a fumble or a dropped pass. It’s high-fiving strangers and singing post-touchdown songs. It’s tears of defeat, tears of victory, and feeling like a part of something bigger than yourself.

Ultimately, that’s why I love football. It connects you with others in a way few other things can. Over the course of the season, you debate, cry, hug, pray, celebrate, and spend countless hours with friends, family, and even complete strangers. You’re never alone – you’re together in defeat and you’re together in victory. Football is all about the collective – the brotherhood of the team and the dedication of the fans.

It’s football. It’s not about the players. It’s about the game.