From thefootballgirl.com

Football and relationships can be a dangerous combination.  As an avid football fan, as well as serial monogamist, I should know.  By my last count, I’ve given 13 different women the title of “girlfriend” since I was old enough to know what that means.  And each one had a different way of annoying me when we watched football together, except number 13 who, by no coincidence, now holds the title of Mrs. Wise Guy.   Since I’ve finally found the Holy Grail of female football watching companionship, I feel I’m uniquely qualified to use my vast powers of nitpicky observation for good and hand out some advice to the female readers of this site.

The first thing you should know is that as different as men may be in their knowledge and interest in football, we are remarkably uniform when it comes to spotting an attractive woman (sure, there’s controversy around the margins, call it the Kirsten Dunst line).  More importantly, we can all agree on who the cool girls are, and whether you’re a wife, girlfriend, or out there looking, it behooves you to be “football cool.”  There’s a theory floating around that knowing football can raise a girl up to 2 points on the proverbial 1 to 10 scale, and I completely subscribe to it.  For the majority of men, football is our favorite sport, and being able to share that joy with our lady is surpassed only by sex, food, and, perhaps the birth of a child. On the other hand, many women can (both knowingly and unknowingly) ruin the football watching experience for men, which is the first step toward tuning you out in general.  

To help maximize your potential to be “football cool,” I’ve broken down women into four categories: the hater, the tolerator, the casual fan, and the knowledgeable fan.  Sure, I could do the same for men (for example, pompous guy who tries to correct everyone on rules, the mysogonist, the guy who only cares about fantasy, the dorky guy who pretends to care but only wants to talk about his job , the alcoholic), but that’s not the point of article.  The point here is to maximize your desirability to men with a few basic insights into our fairly uniform psychology.  Do with that power what you will.

The Hater

You do not like football.  Except for gymnastics in the Olympics, you can do without sports entirely. Chances are, you grew up in a household with your two sisters and a domineering mother who trained your father to pee sitting down so the toilet would always be clean.  Ever since you were tormented by that cheerleader and her dumbass boyfriend in study hall, you’ve gone out of your way to avoid the jocks.  You found a sanctuary in the artsy/theatre clique in high school, and you went to a small liberal arts college that didn’t even have a football team.  Frankly, I have no idea how you got to this website.

After getting your masters in [something impractical], you took root in the bohemian part of the city and finally started looking for a life partner.  One day at a random museum, there he was: cultured, sensitive, philanthropic, and, of course, nerdy cute.  You spent a glorious summer together taking day trips, seeing movies, buying used books, and checking out the latest new coffee shops.  During an August weekend trip in the Poconos, you declared your love, and you moved in with him the next week.  As fall approached, you started secretly checking out Open Houses in the paper.

But then that fateful day came when he ever so meekly declared that he likes to watch the Seahawks on Sundays.  And the other good games.  And the cherry on top, that he plays fantasy.  Ugh.  At this point, you’re trapped.  You love him (not to mention that you sold all your furniture on craigslist), but you never fathomed being with a person that, eek, liked football.  You instantly harken back to your childhood and remember all those great tactics that your mom used on your father: take a hard line initially; acquiesce only if he begs and make it seem like you’re doing him a favor by letting him watch the games; then, while he’s watching the games, ask him to do chores or take out the dog.  Sounds like the perfect solution.

Except that it’s not.  Sooner or later, he’s going to get away from you for a bachelor party weekend and go all Ed Helms from The Hangover on you.  So let him have his 3-9 hours on Sunday.  Just leave and find something else to do.  It will all be over soon.   

Of course, if he’s also into college football you should just cut your losses and end the relationship now.  It’s not going to work out.  

The Tolerator  

You have about as much interest in football as your “hater” counterpart, but unlike her, you’re a natural pleaser.  While we appreciate that, you must tread lightly if you want to venture into watching games with us.  Being a football tolerator is like being a doctor, your oath is “do no harm.”  First and foremost, this means you have to pay attention to the game.  Because football is such a long game, there’s a lot of time when fans are talking about other things or just not paying attention.  However, during those crucial moments–a fourth down place, a two-minute drill, a game winning field goal–there is nothing more annoying than someone talking.

As a corollary to the “pay attention” rule, let’s say you’re looking to spice up your game-watching experience with a little action during halftime.  Normally this would qualify you as “the coolest football girl ever,” but if it’s, say, halftime of the 2005 Divisional Playoffs, and Steve Smith just torched your secondary for the second deep touchdown of the game going into the half, your man is not going to be in the mood.  Know the game situation and the emotional effect it is having on him.

And let me just suggest, if you take the initiative to actually try and learn the game, it could pay huge dividends in the “football cool” department.   There is no stupid question when it comes to football, and we guys get off on displaying knowledge and authority.  Just don’t ask during a 4th and goal.

The Casual Fan

This is the category most fans fall under, guy or girl.  Most likely, you were huge into your college team. But the NFL is not college.  Being a college football fan is easy.  You just dress up in your school’s gear, drink yourself into a stupor, and scream your head off for three hours.  

But, let’s face it, the NFL has become the place for the sophisticated fan (minus your proverbial cheesehead, “Dawg” mask, and spiked shoulder pads), and it’s a minefield for the uninitiated.  With all the technological advances and the growing popularity, you cannot escape NFL analysis.  Every fan now has an opinion on the game they’re watching, which is cemented by all the talking heads on ESPN, the NFL Network, and the pre and post-game shows.  Throw fantasy in the mix, and now you’re talking about a sport that has become overwhelming to many fans. 

So if your goal is to maximize the “football cool,” you’ve got some major learning to do.  But you enjoy the game, have a strong rooting interest for your team, and you’ve come to this site, so you’re already halfway there.

Unfortunately, the second half involves work.   You need to go to a football-related websites every morning (hmm…I wonder which one?) and read the major stories.  Watch Sportscenter or another highlight show Sunday night to make sure you know what happened in every game.  For most guys, this comes as second nature (because we don’t have that many interests), but for women it’s tougher because there’s shoes on zappos to buy, trips to plan, and celebrity gossip to check out.  But trust me, get in this habit, and you’ll be amazed at the dividends.  Especially for all the single ladies (all the single ladies!).  Just knowing the major storylines and what happened in every game will allow you to hang at any happy hour, dinner party, or corporate boondoggle conversation involving the NFL.  If you throw in a little humor by ripping the crappy teams or moronic coaching moves, you’ll instantly be labeled a “cool” girl.  You’ll have so much hand, you’ll be coming out of your gloves.

However, if you want to make it with the knowledgeable fans outside the singles scene and during the actual games, well then just a cursory knowledge of what happened is not sufficient.  You have to know why it happened.  I’m hardly the authority on why the events of professional football play out like they do.  But this much I know: 95% of fans, 80% of announcers, and 30% of coaches (Jim Zorn, Herm Edwards, and Dennis Green come to mind) don’t either.  You must find the experts.  Easiest way: watch Cris Collinsworth on Sunday night because he knows his stuff and breaks down the strategy in football beyond the customary “he’s playing with a lot of passion out there” line you get from most announcers.  Also great is the Playbook AFC or NFC shows on the NFL network that breakdown actual game film and show you how formations have a huge effect on how a given play turns out.  My personal belief is that knowing the strategy that goes behind football makes watching the games a much more fulfilling experience because you appreciate just what a chess match the game is.  

On a more practical level, just knowing a little bit about the strategy behind the game will instantly make you more knowledgeable than almost any guy you’re with, and you will immediately begin wowing people with insights without even knowing it.   Assuming you take the advice in the next section, you’ll be about as “football cool” as they come.

The Knowledgeable Fan

You know the game inside and out.  You play fantasy football and kick everyone’s ass.  Everything in this article up to this point was a curiosity, like a college professor sitting in on a high school class.  And we guys are simply in awe.  But, as Michael Jordan recently showed at his Hall of Fame induction speech, just because you’re good at something does not make you likeable or cool.  If you have a chip on your shoulder, are combative, or proclaim know-it-all status, people will tolerate you when you’re around and make snide remarks behind your back.  Now, as a know-it-all myself, I’ve become all too familiar with the looks on people’s faces when I’ve crossed the line into pompousness.  But women who know sports, especially football, they have a certain perspective that I’ve only come to appreciate after several blissful seasons with Mrs. Wise Guy.

Other girls it ruin for you.  The haters, the tolerators, the casual fans, they all condition guys to believe you don’t know anything.  You constantly feel like you have to prove yourself and establish your credibility.  Ladies, I feel your pain, but simply, you must get over it.  The vast majority of guys will instantly recognize you as different and give you the respect you deserve.  So have confidence, and don’t go on the warpath when you feel disrespected.

By that same token, there is something to male bonding that goes beyond just talking about football.  So, please, try your best to not get too annoyed when we regress into those moments.  The interplay of busting each other’s balls, arguing about which celebrity du jour is hotter, or communicating through movie quotes is something that many women have a hard time breaking into, no matter how much you think you’re one of the guys.  Again, you just have to understand that this is not about you.  It’s a long game, and that Will Ferrell impression that you’ve heard for the 120th time will eventually end.  And though you’re rolling your eyes for the 119th time, if you stay cool, we’ll love you for it.  

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College Gameday, Built by the Home Depot, visits Penn State on 9/26/09. The ESPN/ABC prime time game of the week was Penn State vs. Iowa. The video shows you the opposite side of the cameras including the famous head gear selection by Lee Corso.

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David -
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The Wise Guy: Dave Emanuelson

Dave bears no resemblance to the Three Stooges or a mobster, but a Wise Guy he is all the same. He boasts an impressive pedigree as a big-time D.C. lawyer, 10-year streak of straight As from sixth grade to his junior year in college, former Division 1 athlete (golf, but still…), and a 82% percent success rate of predicting whether instant replays will be overturned.

Dave never played football, but he’s been to two Super Bowls (just the parties), walked the red carpet at the ESPYs, and once rode in an SUV with Brady Quinn. He’s currently a two-time defending champion of his fantasy football league.

What would college football be without rivalries? Rivalries can make regular season games seem like playoff games. Battling another school across the state border or within the state can be the biggest game of the season. The players get excited. The players get excited. The community gets excited! Here are some of the most noteworthy rivalries in NCAA football:

1. Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles
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These two teams have been battling in their intrastate rivalry, since 1958. Florida leads the series, 31-19-2. People sometimes refer to this competition as the “Sunshine Showdown” (referring to Florida’s nickname as the Sunshine State), or the “Governor’s Cup.” Adding to the thrill of the game, one or both of the schools’ football teams have had high national rankings the week of their meeting, since 1990. In fact, since Bobby Bowden began coaching Florida State in 1976, the series has been virtually deadlocked.

2. UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans

How intense is the intrastate rivalry between UCLA and USC? It even has a name. The Lexus Gauntlet refers to the competition between USC and UCLA, involving head-to-head competitions in 18 varsity sports. Both universities have participatory events during the week before the clash of the two football teams. USC refers to the week as “Conquest” or “Troy Week.” On the other hand, UCLA calls that week “Beat SC Week” (the less combative official title is “Blue and Gold Week.”)

By the way, what exactly are Bruins and Trojans? A Bruin is a huge, vicious bear in Europe and Asia. Meanwhile, the Trojans were citizens of Troy-an ancient city in modern-day Turkey.

3. Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies

This rivalry is as big as the state of Texas. The teams’ football teams annually battle each other on the day following Thanksgiving. The teams do this to give the rivalry a national spotlight. Here is some interesting trivia about the rivalry:

? Begun in 1900, the teams’ rivalry is the third longest one in college football
? Activities such as Texas’ “Hex Rally” and Texas A&M’s “Aggie Bonfire” precede the game.
? The Aggies “honor” Texas in their “Aggie War Hymn” fight song, while the Longhorns wish their rivals a “goodbye” in their “Texas Fight” fight song.

4. Western Michigan Broncos and Central Michigan Chippewas

The Broncos were actually once Hilltoppers. That referred to its East Hall sitting atop Prospect Hill. However, in 1939 Western Michigan changed the name of its athletic teams to the Broncos. At that time, other Hilltoppers existed, such as the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

Meanwhile, the Chippewas, or “Chips” represent Central Michigan University. The team represents the Saginaw Chippewa Native American tribe, which lives in the region. Ironically, while the university maintains a constructive relationship with the American Indians, in 2005 the NCAA included the name “Chippewas” on its list of “hostile” or “abusive” nicknames. However, Central Michigan successfully appealed the judgment.

Rivalries are essential to the thrill of NCAA football. Regardless of which team you cheer for, use NCAA merchandise to show your support!

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Final play in the 2005 Alamo Bowl in San Antonio. The Michigan Wolverines had eight lateral pitches in an attempt to score against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Husker fans across the nation were holding their breath during this play, hoping for a stop. This was a great win for head coach Bill Callahan for the University of Nebraska. To discuss current University of Nebraska football, www.HuskerSpot.com has a great forum where many different “Big Red” topics are discussed. They also have videos, pictures, games and much more. If you are in the need of Cornhusker gear, take a peek at www.HuskerAuctions.com. They have a huge number of UN fan gear items and football tickets that are sold at cheap prices. GO BIG RED!

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Rick Grantham -
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Rick Grantham is an avid sports fan. Most of Rick’s articles focus on W Michigan Broncos merchandise. Many articles are related to NCAA college shop and other sports related topics. Rick is a contributing author to BooYah Village

I will be describing the 1971 Nebraska-Oklahoma football game as seen through the eyes of a 20 year old die hard Nebraska football fan. I was born in Nebraska and spent my first 10 years there. In that time, my dad ,who was a huge Nebraska fan from way back instilled what has lasted to this day a love for Nebraska football.

In the late 50’s we moved to Illinois and there was hardly any type of media coverage available for Nebraska football. By 1963 Bob Devaney had brought the Corhuskers to National prominence. The 1963 team won the Big 8 Conference and was headed to the Orange Bowl. At that time the game started in the morning. There were only 4 bowl games of national significance going on at that time, the Orange which the Big 8 was contracturally tied in with, the Cotton which had a team from the Southwestern Conference, the Sugar Bowl which had an SEC team, and the Rose Bowl which pitted the Big 10 against the Pac 10. In the Orange Bowl Nebraska was playing Auburn. Nebraska jumped out to an early lead on the first series with a QB keeper that went for around 67 yards. Oh Boy, they had it in the bag. Not exactly. The final series found Auburn deep in Nebraska territory, but with a break here and there the Cornhuskers prevailed 13-7.

By 1965 the cover of Sports Illustrated had Nebraska on its cover predicting them to finish number 1. Big Red fever was taking on a national fan base. The 1965 team had a chance at winning the national championship game except for the fact that Bear Bryant, Alabamas head coach found out we couldn’t field an onside kick.

This trend continued, with a couple of lean years thrown in to become a stage setter for what was to be the 1971 game of the century.

The Oklahoma Sooners were good, really good. Their offense was nearly unstoppable, and they had a respectable defense. Nebraskas defense was considered excellent while their offense was quite good with Jerry Tagge, future Heisman winner Johnny Rodgers, and future first round draft pick Jeff Kinney. The Sooners had Jack Mildren guide the Oklahoma offense which ran a wishbone attack. It was a triple option offense that didn’t rely much on the pass. It didn’t need to, Mildren had rushed for over 1000 yards at this point an Greg Pruitt was averaging 9.5 yards per carry. The teams had been ranked 1 and 2 for the entire season and something had to give.

I remember listening to Howard Cosell do a 5 minute radio show every morning, and doing nothing but talking about the Nebraska Oklahoma game. Life magazines cover featured the game, along with Sports Illustrated. In 1971 there was usually only one game broadcast and the others you had to read about or try and catch some highlights on a Sunday morning college football show. I had seen Nebraska play Colorado earlier on television that year in which they won 35-7 and had gone to two other games in person (Missouri and Iowa St. where they won easily). They were now on the big stage. It was something I could have only dreamt about 10 years ago.

This football game itself ended up living up to all of its hype. Mildren who hadn’t been much of a passer all year was killing Nebraska with his arm. Johnny Rodgers 1st quarter punt return for a touchdown was probably the deciding factor that couldn’t be changed, as these two team competed evenly down to the final minutes.

After the game was over and Nebraska had prevailed by a score of 35-31 I felt a sense of pride and relief. I had just witnessed two great teams go at it for 60 minutes and my team came out on top. The 1971 Nebraska team regularly is ranked as the best college football team of all time, I’m always surprised Oklahoma wasn’t usually ranked second. After the 1971 season concluded, Nebraska ended up with a unanimous number 1 ranking, followed by Oklahoma in second, and Colorado, which only losses came to Nebraska and Oklahoma as third in the polls.

I hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane. It was a lot of fun to bring back the old thoughts of what happened that season. If you want more thought on the upcoming season come to: bigredfb.com

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During a kickoff in a football game, the ball is usually placed on a tee at the 30 yard line for college and the NFL, and at the 40 yard line in high school. Learn about offside rules and onside kicks withhelp from a head football coach in this free video on kickoff rules. Expert: Jesse Shale Contact: www.miamichristian.org Bio: Jesse Shale is the head football coach at Miami Christian School in Miami, Florida. Filmmaker: Paul Muller

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Dan H -
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New Page 1 Dan has been a lifelong Cornhusker fan for the past 45 years. He lives and dies Red. You can get more of his comments on the season and game reviews at http://bigredfb.com

NCAA Football has geared up through the years to become the topmost selling college football game series for more than ten years now. It simply gets better and better through the years. It brings out much excitement in the player because of the incredible game experience it gives to every player.

With the coming of NCAA Football 2010, players would want to know exactly how it would be different from NCAA Football 2009. What’s to be glad about with 2010 updated version is that it has all-new features that would definitely be delightful for all college football fans out there, especially when online NCAA Football 2010 gaming means points for each student who plays the game. That means each online participant contributes to his or her college’s winning the season.

Fans have always looked for authenticity in the NCAA football series that it has become a great challenge for EA Sports, the makers. Good thing EA Sports have always delivered authentic games each time they come up with an updated version. In the NCAA Football 2010, each school or university who is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision will be embodied by their own colors, mascots and cheerleaders. The great thing about it is that there are now more than a hundred schools that participate in the 2010 game.

When NCAA Football 2010 comes out in July of this year, there is now room for players who get lazy while playing. The simming option allows the player to pick the kind of play and the computer will play the rest of the game. Still to be tested when it comes out, no one still knows if it’s bound to be effective.

Here’s another incredible thing with NCAA Football 2010, procedural awareness makes the players look more realistic. With this latest feature, receivers and defensive backs now can look at the ball just before they play.

That’s about it about the “known” features of the all-new NCAA Football 2010. There are still more new elements into the latest game but gamers are intentionally made to anticipate, to add to the surprise. EA Sports is deliberately keeping everything a surprise up to a certain limit. The makers have allowed fans to draw out wish lists for the upcoming NCAA Football 2010 so that suggestions could possibly be integrated into the game. Among those that came out in the wish list is a better line play, addition of team entrances, and crowd atmosphere.

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Representatives from Utoledogear.com, your source for the highest quality apparel from The University of Toledo, took to Centennial Mall to give away some of our new UT Flip Flops specially designed by Vineyard Vines – all you had to do was answer our questions. Order online at Utoledogear.com Become a fan at http and receive 15% off your first order.

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Brian Kaldenberg -
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No, you don’t just get yourself NCAA Football 10 because it’s the latest game for your xbox 360. It’s simply the best.

You just have to know Auburn – the Town, the University, and the Tradition – to truly understand Auburn Football and what it really means. Let me try to explain . . .

My earliest memories of Auburn are from about 1955. I remember walking down College Street from my aunt’s house, having a lemonade and grilled-cheese sandwich at Toomer’s Drug Store lunch counter, and then going to the Tiger Theatre (across the street) and seeing “Gone With The Wind.” I have very fond memories of summers in Auburn. This is why I understand what it means to be not only a fan of Auburn, Alabama, but of the Auburn Tigers!

Auburn Football has one of the most storied histories in not only the “Deep South” but in all of college football. We will start with the oldest rivalry in Deep South Football and in college athletics. Auburn and Georgia first played on February 20, 1892, in Piedmont Park in Atlanta! Since 1898, the Auburn Tigers have played the Georgia Bulldogs every year! That is 111 contests total (Auburn did not field a football team in the war year of 1943), with Auburn leading the series 53-50-8. Another first for Auburn football was the Tigers’ first bowl trip. The Bacardi Bowl is the only bowl game ever played outside of the United States. On New Years Day in 1937, Auburn and Villanova fought to a 7-7 tie in Havana, Cuba!

Another unique element of Auburn Football for many years has been where the games were played. Auburn’s chief rivals, Georgia, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, and Alabama would not come and play in “The Loveliest Village on the Plains”. Auburn’s “home” games with those schools were played in Atlanta, Montgomery, Mobile, Columbus, Macon, Savannah, or Birmingham! Finally in 1960 things began to change. In 1960, Georgia came to Auburn and lost 9-6. In 1970, Georgia Tech came South to Auburn and lost 31-7. In 1974, Tennessee came to Auburn and lost 21-0. And the Alabama Crimson Tide came to Auburn for the first time in 1974, losing 30-20. These victories proved that Auburn could finally enjoy a “Home” game!

Is doesn’t matter if you call them the Tigers, The Plainsmen, or the War Eagles, they all mean the same . . . Auburn! The “Tiger” is both the nickname and the mascot! “Plainsmen” refers to the city of Auburn, the “Loveliest Village on the Plain;” both references come from the poem by Oliver Goldsmith (the “Deserted Village,” published in 1770) “War Eagle” is both the Battle Cry and the greeting.

War Eagle, of course, is based on a legend that ties a wounded eagle to a wounded confederate solider. The bird is rescued by the solider. He raises the eagle while he is a student at Auburn and ultimately becomes a faculty member. The two were there that day that Auburn and Georgia played in Piedmont Park. When Auburn scored the first touchdown the old eagle broke free and soared above the field! Auburn people looked up at the familiar figure and cried “War Eagle”. At the end of the game the old eagle collapsed and died, he had given his all for Auburn victory. The eagle may have died, but his spirit lives on in the hearts of Auburn fans everywhere.

Tradition and pride continue to “fuel” Auburn football. John Heisman, the legendary coach for which college football’s top honor is named, was Auburn’s coach from 1895-1899 and posted a 12-4-2 record. Auburn is the only school where Heisman coached to have a Heisman Trophy winner. Auburn has two: quarterback Pat Sullivan won the award in 1971 and tailback Bo Jackson won the honor in 1985.

The very long tradition of Auburn Football includes national championships, undefeated seasons, and many, many household names in college football to be remembered, but this is only the beginning! Whether we win or lose, Auburn tradition and pride will always be felt at AUBURN and in the famous cry: “Waaarrrrr Eagles!”

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Is college football a positive influence in American universities? Debating this topic are professors Thomas Palaima and Lino Graglia. Lino Graglia is the Dalton Cross Professor of Law. Professor Graglia has written that big-time college football is a “fraudulent enterprise.” Thomas Palaima is the Raymond F. Dickson Centennial Professor and founding Director of the Program in Aegean Scripts and Prehistory in the Department of Classics. He is also UT’s representative to the national Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics. The event was the second in a series called the Texas Chautauquas, faculty debates on issues of local and national interest that are hosted by the Texas IP Fellows program at the University of Texas at Austin. Texas IP Fellows are Natural Science and Liberal Arts majors who design interdisciplinary minors on topics of personal interest.

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Bobby Brister -
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Bobby Brister is a huge fan of the SEC and the Auburn Tigers. After 25 years of coaching high school football, he now writes often about his favorite past time, college football. You can check out his favorite Auburn Tigers gear.