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Watching Sports As A Couple – 8 Do’s And Don’ts To Help Women Survive The Game
Women are joining fantasy leagues and showing up for tailgating parties. They are not only a constant presence at sporting events, but with a little work their sports watching skills can help strengthen their relationship and you can enjoy watching Sports As A Couple.
A 2011 report by the Journal of Sports Medicine confirms that women are increasingly becoming vested in sports that in past generations were dominated by males. While some men still cringe at the thought of watching a sport with their significant other, watching sports is more of a couples activity now than ever before.
Some couples will tell you that there is a fine line between successfully watching sports together and bickering through the duration of the game. That is not exactly true. The reality is that there is a wide chasm between the two, and crossing from one side to the other takes a lot of work – mostly on the part of the females.
Tips to Help You Prepare for the Big Game
Mark Spitz is an Olympic Champion swimmer who once offered the sage advice, “If you fail to prepare, then you’re prepared to fail.” This has never been more true than when a couple watches sports together. Help prevent having the man in your life groan at the thought by following these easy tips.
- DON’T engage in PDA – Save the snuggling for after the game. During the game your guy is more likely to focus his attention on watching the game with his friends. Don’t take it personally. Besides, he may want to snuggle after the game, especially if his team loses and he needs comforting.
- DO bring snacks and offer to serve them up – It might seem sexist in today’s world for the woman to make and serve food. However it gives your man an ego boost and shows him that you care about his friends.
- DON’T ask if the game is over yet – You would not want your partner to ask if your chick flick is over yet, so give him the same respect during the game. The best way to know if the game is over is to learn how long the game lasts, whether it is nine innings, four quarters, or three periods.
- DO laugh at the jokes – Men like to make jokes while watching sports games. Sometimes these jokes are in poor taste. Offer a polite laugh now and save the conversation about how the jokes make you feel until later when guests have all gone home.
- DON’T interrupt game talk with a different topic – Men may interrupt game talk to discuss something else, but even if you are speaking the guys’ language, let them choose the topics. This gives you the advantage of intermingling sports talk with your own topics at a later time, like when you go out to dinner.
- DO research before joining in the conversation – While you do not have to know the lifetime stats of every player on the team, it helps to at least know the basics. Some vital information includes how the game is played, how long it lasts, and a little background information about the standout players.
- DO stay quiet if your partner channel surfs through games – Some men stay glued to a single game from the first play to the final score. Others channel surf, watching multiple games at one time. If your man does the latter, grin and bear it. Even if he does not come out and say it, he will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
- DON’T make light of fantasy teams – Doing this is worse than making fun of a young boy’s imaginary friend. The football fan in your life takes his team seriously, and even if you think it is silly, respecting him enough to listen will earn you new respect with him.
A Big Tip for Guys
And guys, if you are reading this, please bear with us. Most women were not brought up throwing the pigskin around in the back yard with the guys, or spending an entire Sunday watching back to back NFL games. A lot of us are new at this, and try to join in because we care.
Instead of sighs and glares, encourage us with gentle corrections, even if we embarrass you in front of the guys. Do not forget to let us know what we did right after the game, too. Your patience will be well rewarded in the end.
Freelance writer Becky Muth is a former NFL widow who now spends Sunday afternoons during football season watching back to back games with her husband, a professional firefighter, and their two teenage sons. She even visits www.itisallaboutsports.com/ to brush up on information about the teams. In her free time Becky enjoys walking with her three rescue dogs and knitting.
