Are You Ready for Some Football?

I don’t like football…actually, I love football…and those who know me, understand that September – February (hopefully my Bears will be playing through Super Bowl Sunday), I’m all about Football.  I know the game, enjoying watching it and love to talk about the game and share my thoughts on how they should be doing it better.   Not sure if  it’s because I grew up with 4 boys in the house (and my lovely sister, Megan, of course) but I truly get giddy on Sunday Nights when I hear Faith Hill start singing, “Alright Sunday Night Where are you…Hey Jack, it’s a fact, the show’s back in town…”  I do know, however, that not every woman (or even every man) understands the game.  I found this cheeky article  about things Women (or people who don’t understand the game) should know, and since we are emerging into Football season, I thought I’d share it, so in case you catch yourself watching a game, and enjoying it, you’ll actually know a bit more about it!

Before I share that article, if you don’t think the NFL is Big Business, take a look at what the Top 5 Football teams are worth:

1. Dallas Cowboys ($2.1 billion)

2. New England Patriots ($1.64 billion)

3. Washington Redskins ($1.6 billion)

4. New York Giants ($1.47 billion)

5. Houston Texans ($1.31 billion)

8.  Chicago Bears ($1.2 billion)

My Bears come in at #8 at a cool, $1.2 billion…With a $65M profit, did they really have to do a 3-year contract with RC Cola (and yes, RC Cola still makes soda, but not Diet Coke nor Diet Pepsi, sadly, which means I must drink Heineken at Bears games)?  And they can’t afford to have real half-time entertainment, but we’re subjected to a punt, kick and pass, “sponsored” by some car company?  Please…Give us a marching band, or a Chicago-based band, for crying out loud!  How about Styx or Off Broadway?  Or perhaps, Chicago?  And it wouldn’t hurt to  dial-up the music with some snappier tunes to get the crowd riled and motivated to cheer on the team…and snappy music can also motivate the team!    And seeing as I’m probably “past my prime” to be a sideline NFL reporter (actually, I’m not, but no one has hired me for that position), I most certainly can go to work for the Bears to give the fans (the best fans ever, btw), a better NFL experience.

10 Things Every Woman (Or anyone really) should know about Football

(Source:  Marie Claire Magazine)

ON THE FIELD

1. GET TO THE POINT. Know the basics. A touchdown is six points. An extra point is worth one (but teams can go for a two-point conversion, where they get another play to make it in the end zone, rather than kicking an extra point). A field goal is worth three points. And a safety (when a player with the ball is tackled in his own end zone) is worth two points.

2. THIN YELLOW LINE. The little yellow line indicates how far the team has to go to get a first down. And it works through the magic of television — the players cannot see it, nor can you see it while you are sitting at the game.  They have also started indicating when a play is in the Red Zone — that means when the offense has possession of the ball at the 20-yard line or closer. It means there’s a good chance that the offense is going to score soon. And no, the players can’t see the red part either…nor can those sitting in the stands.

3. TRUE OR FALSE START? A false start is when a member of the offense moves before the play actually starts. Offsides is when a player on the defense moves before the play starts.

4. DOWN BUT NOT OUT. Say you hear the announcer say that it’s “2nd and 10.” This means that it’s the second down and the offense has 10 yards to go in order to get a first down. There are four downs in total, so if it’s 4th and 10, the offense will probably punt the ball. If it’s 4th and inches, they might go for the first down. The risk is that if they don’t get it, the other team gets the ball right then and there.

5. FLAG ON THE PLAY. A yellow flag on the play indicates that the referee is calling a foul on the play. We all have to wait on the edge of our seats to find out which player did what and when. If you see the coaches throw down a red flag, this is called a “coach’s challenge,” and it means that the team charged with the foul disagrees with the ref’s call. If the coach tosses a red flag, the play is reviewed by the refs and if they reverse it — great: All is fine and the team is happy! If the play is reviewed and not reversed, the team that threw the red flag is charged with a time-out. Keep in mind that coaches can only throw a red flag in the first 28 minutes of each half. (In the last two minutes of each half, any questionable plays are automatically reviewed by the refs.)

OFF THE FIELD

1. PLAY TO THE CROWD. If you’re at a bar or tailgate with a group of die-hard fans, now is not the time to ask questions like: “What does ‘FG attempt’ mean?” or “Can they see that yellow line on the field?” But the beginning of the season is the perfect time to sit back, have fun, and enjoy the pomp and circumstance of the NFL. Commit to watching this season and absorb all of the drama.

2. DO YOUR HOMEWORK. Take a few minutes to do some quick preseason homework. Check out the usual suspects for all of the nation’s sports headlines. There are also great sites that focus on other elements of sports, besides stats. Visit gogameface.com or femmefan.com.  They all cover sports from a girl’s-eye view. Plus, the NFL puts on “Football 101: Workshops for Women” in cities all over the country.

3. FANTASY ISLAND. Try joining a You Pick ‘Em or Salary Cap fantasy league.    They provide a fun, not-too-time-consuming way to get involved and stay on top of the games every weekend. Apparently a company “I do business with” has a fantasy league, but girl’s aren’t allowed.  I find that rude and unbecoming”.

4. PREGAME FESTIVITIES. If you like entertaining as much as I do, make Sundays a regular gathering for you and your football-loving friends. Plan some fun pregame festivities, like a Madden video game tournament, or create your own temporary tattoos that declare your love of your team (or disdain toward the opposing team). For your game-day menu, go beyond chili and wings and create a menu inspired by the city your team is playing. Philly cheesesteaks…Chicago deep-dish pizza…Dallas BBQ…New Orleans muffulettas. You’ll bring a whole new meaning to “devouring the competition”!  My friend Donna has a Super Bowl party each year, and serves foods from each city playing in the big game!  Here’s a copy of the article featuring her as Cook of the Week!

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120123/entlife/701239857/

5. SHOW YOUR TRUE COLORS. Many people think that women love anything pink. Even pink jerseys. Me? I prefer to wear my team’s true colors. If you love pink, go for it. But if you don’t, look for cute, sporty clothes like Alyssa Milano’s Touch collection, NFL’s line with Reebok, or 5th & Ocean vintage tees…or some small indie spots with cute apparel, like Football Chicks Are Hot or perhaps our “I Watch Sports Like a Girl” tees. Whatever you do, don’t be afraid to wear your heart — and your team spirit — on your sleeve!

As I’ve mentioned before, but it Bears repeating (pun intended)…I don’t wear football jersey’s (or any jersey’s for that matter), as I don’t like looking like a Linebacker (no offense to Brian Urlacher)…and I have yet to find one that is even remotely flattering, so I like to wear my team colors.  Blue and Orange.  Here are some cute outfits, in navy, orange, but not necessarily together, that could be good options.

Go Bears !

Navy twin set with white jeans

I actually wore something very similar to this last year, with either a white scoop neck tee, or a white blouse…but I also was rockin’ the cheetah flats.

The above dress should be worn to a Pre Season game, with metallic flip flops…not strappy pumps!

These almost look like Dockers…I may pair this orange sweater with a pair of jeans or walking shorts (weather permitting, of course).

These shoes, while darling, are NOT appropriate to wear to a Bears game…

Have a Fantastic Weekend…And Go Bronco’s!!

Patrick is #15.

xoxo,

T.

Related Posts:

http://dressedtoat.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/are-you-ready-for-some-fashion-for-the-guys/

http://dressedtoat.wordpress.com/2010/10/26/bears-ballyhoo/

http://dressedtoat.wordpress.com/2010/09/10/are-you-ready-for-some-football-2/

Related articles

• Are You Ready for Some Football? (dressedtoat.wordpress.com)
• Why Jay Cutler’s Immaturity Is Chicago Bears’ Greatest Obstacle in Title Quest (bleacherreport.com)

Are you ready for some Fashion?…For the Guys

What does a Guy wear to a football game?

You can tell it’s Football Season, since I will be peppering in football-related blogs throughout the season…And as I’ve done with “What a girl packs for college”…when I penned the equal opportunity blog for the Guys…I shall do the same with, “Are you ready for some Fashion”  regarding what a Girl should wear to a football game, with the Guys version of what Men should wear to a football game.

http://dressedtoat.wordpress.com/2010/10/11/are-you-ready-for-some-fashion/

I present you with the equal opportunity blog, “Are you ready for some Fashion…for the Guys”.  And can do it in 3 words:

Your Team Jersey!

In a nutshell, if you are a guy, you can and should wear the Jersey of your team.   You can wear one from a current player, or that of a past player.  And had Lance Briggs, not have acted like a pompous, greedy jerk, I would have inserted his jersey in here as well.  Hey Lance, you signed a contract, be a man of your word, and live with it.  Don’t use the media to try to get more money from your team.  How do you think the players from the 70′s and 80′s feel when Your signing bonus, was basically the amount of money they made playing their entire career?  So alas, no Briggs jersey here.

And if you do not have a team jersey to wear, you can wear the colors of your team.  Blue and Orange.  But you probably have a jersey, or can borrow one from a friend.   Or perhaps you have a t-shirt or sweatshirt (and I love hoodies) of your favorite team (Bears).  If you look around Soldier Field, basically Every Guy is wearing a Bears Jersey (unless of course they’re rooting for the opposing team.  Ugh).

So there you have it…Wear a football jersey.  Your team’s jersey.  Easy.  Unlike women, who have to be sure we don’t look like a linebacker, and need to follow other NFL fashion-rules,  Men have it sooooooo easy when dressing for a football game!

Go Bears!

xoxo,

T.

ps…I am Still Not a fan of Ben Roethlisberger – he also could use a life coach

Coming on Friday…Jay Cutler Needs a Life Coach…Part Deux!

Are you ready for some football?

I am so excited and not because it’s September and my anniversary, birthday and Meredith’s birthday all happen to be in this month (although those events are fabulous as well), I am giddy because it’s football season. True football season, not pre-season, not training, but good ole Chicago Bears football. I love football! Which ponders the question, what’s a girl to wear?

While knowing what to wear on a daily basis comes more naturally, I don’t think it’s as easy when attending a football game. Now we are speaking of attending an NFL game not Patrick’s 8th grade football game – I think I have that dress code covered, which is whatever I choose to wear that day.

So… NFL Attire. Well, I am not a girl who wears football jerseys. So many girls (and most guys) and women can wear them, and look great. I look like a linebacker, which, let’s face it, is never the look one should be going for. Mer and Patrick look adorable, as referenced by this photo…but this was a few years back when the Bears were actually a “contender” and it was fashionable to have a huge giant blow up of a Chicago Bear in front of my house.

So, when attending your team’s football game (or even watching with family and friends), these are some basic guidelines…now, I don’t always follow these guidelines, as I’ve been known to march to the beat of own drummer, but again, some good basic guidelines:

1. Wear your Team’s colors – Love the Chicago Bears, but not digging the team colors of Blue and Orange. Why can’t they be Red and Black like the Arizona Cardinals, or Atlanta Falcons?! I have a plethora of items in my repertoire to choose from in the red or black palette…not so much in the blue and orange range. But, I do have navy and orange sweaters, or a navy and white twin set . So jeans and a white turtleneck and navy sweater or an orange sweater , suit me just fine. Or, a zebra print top may have been seen at a Bears pre-season game. It appears I forgot about Rule #1…Wear your Team’s colors.

2. Must wear comfortable shoes. I love my friend Kathy, but when I picked her up to attend a game, and this is true, she was wearing a pair of cheetah-print mules. In December! It was around 15 degrees and I was wearing Ugg Boots. I ridiculed her enough that she changed to a pair of cheetah print flats. At least her heel was not exposed, and she looked darling. NFL stadiums are big, really big and chances are your parking is really far away, so you will be walking. You must wear comfortable shoes. In Chicago in winter, you have to wear boots.

3. Your purse – there are very specific rules re: the size of the handbag you can take into a game. Leave the Hermes Birkin bag at home ( and in a safe, as I hear they are really expensive). I have a small, Kate Spade, black backpack, which works great. It’s small, made of nylon, doesn’t mind getting wet or snowed on and is user-friendly. Plus, you never know when you are going to get Field Passes and it also holds a small camera!

4. Face Painting. HaHaHa. Not me, but for my 13-year old son or my friend Carol’s son, who was probably 14 at the time, it was terrific! Plus, it usually attracts the TV camera’s…another plus if your face is painted, and you aren’t wearing a shirt. Men only please.

5. Wear sunglasses, because even in the winter, the sun can be brutal. Some may choose to wears a Bears hat, but for me, a hat is an all day decision and rarely do I ever make that decision, so I stick with sunglasses.

6. And in the Dead of Winter, when it’s freezing cold, bundle up, throw on a heavy scarf (or My Shawl) and throw caution to the wind! Note to self, that coat is Not Slimming.

This season I am going to make a concerted effort to sport Blue and Orange, and hopefully will be able to blog about it at a later date when I’m at the Super Bowl for the Bears game! And, oh Happy Day…I have just the right jacket to wear to Sunday’s Opener! You won’t miss me. I figured there were enough photos of me in this blog, so will post just the jacket and not Terry in it.

xoxo

Go Bears!

T.