Football Fever: Why I Love The Game

I know this could be considered a controversial opinion, but I’ll say it: I love football. Something about the changing of seasons from Summer to Fall gives me all the football feels.

The three reasons I have so much love for the game are these:

  1. It gives us a chance to remember

I’ve loved football for as long as I can remember. I grew up watching football. I was a cheerleader for my brother’s rec league team at the age of 4. My dad played football. My brother played football. My first date with my husband was at a football game. So every time I watch a team take the field, score a touchdown, or intercept a pass, memories flood back from that time the Saints won the Super Bowl, or when James Wilhoit kicked a 50-yard field goal to lift the Vols past the Gators. Pandemonium reigned.

I’m sure many of us have that moment or memory that comes to mind when we hear the sound of the kickoff, the blare of the marching band, or the crash of helmets. Maybe you think about high school shenanigans on Friday nights or college football game days. Or maybe you remember watching the Saints with your Dad on Sunday afternoons, getting his color commentary on each play.

  1. It gives us an opportunity to gather

Even if football isn’t your “thing” you can still make the most of all the games on the calendar. Tailgates anyone? Or a viewing party at your house? In addition to reminding us of our past and making us feel like “home”, football gives us a reason to get our people together.

Over cheese dip and chicken wings, we can catch up while kids play their own version of the game in the backyard and husbands pretend like they know what they are talking about. Or we can tailgate all afternoon with our krewe before walking to the Dome or staying back and watching the game on a TV in our tailgate spot. No matter what’s happening on the field, being together is always a reason to celebrate.

  1. It gives us a reason to hope

I grew up in Knoxville and am a proud alum of the University of Tennessee. We can claim Payton Manning and the 1998 National Title among our most well-known achievements. And since then, we’ve been….pretty good and best, real bad at worst. I’m sure lifelong Saints fans can relate. But you know what? It doesn’t matter how awful we played last week (or the week before, or last year) because next week is a new chance! We could always have a perfect season next year! And in a world where everything seems out of sorts, couldn’t we all use a little extra reason for hope.

So what about you? Love football or hate it? If you love it, why?

Sarah Brichetto
Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, Sarah moved to New Orleans in 2009 after graduating from the University of Tennessee (Go Vols!) and is proud to call New Orleans home. She is a CPA and the Finance Director at a local real estate development company. Sarah lives in the Freret neighborhood with her husband, Matt, and their three kids: Elizabeth, Paul and Isaac. You can often find them roaming the neighborhood streets, taking streetcar rides, or enjoying one of the many local parks. In her non-existent free time, Sarah loves to try the newest local restaurants, cook, read, and write.

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