October is an incredibly busy and exciting time for sports fans. Baseball is moving into the post season, football is starting to heat up and basketball and hockey are right around the corner. Guys all over the country are donning their favorite jerseys, sitting in front of the television, and screaming like a mad man. You watch him and think to yourself, “Who is this demon that has invaded my boyfriend’s body? Doesn’t he know the guys on the television can’t hear him?” You want to be able to talk to him during the season. You want to know what you should do when he’s watching the game. You’re unsure as to how you should act if you were to watch the game with him. Well, fear no more! Here are all the Do’s and Don’ts when watching sports with a guy.
1. Do familiarize yourself with the game. On the surface, sports may look really complicated and, on some levels, they are. That being said, knowing a few basics about how the game is played can go a long way; like knowing that touchdowns are in football, home runs are in baseball, and free throws are in basketball. The best way to figure out the basics of a sport is to just watch some games. You won’t understand everything right away and that’s okay. You didn’t understand how to put on makeup the first time you tried, but look at you now. You’re a pro! Sports are very similar. The more experience you have, the better you will be. Another great option is the internet. There are hundreds of sites that will explain the rules of the game in terms everyone can understand. Here are a few links that explain the basics of four popular professional sports.
2. Do learn the major players. Every team has stars and captains. These are the guys who are always on the ESPN highlight reel and have fans like your boyfriend buying their jerseys hand over fist. Over the course of a game, it may be difficult to figure out who the stars of the team are with the announcers mentioning so many names. Adding to the difficulty, stars vary from sport to sport and from team to team. The easiest way to figure out who the stars of a team are is to look up the team on the ESPN website. Enter the team name in the search bar, click on the first link and you will be taken to the team page. From there, click on the “Statistics” tab. At the top, you’ll see the names and pictures of the players who lead the team in the vital statistics like points, passing yards, or home runs depending on the sport. This will give you a great snap shot of who the movers and shakers are on the team.
3. Don’t ask too many questions (especially during the game!) There is nothing wrong with asking questions, especially if something happens that you don’t understand. That being said, don’t ask too many questions. Your boyfriend is trying to watch and enjoy the game. This is how he relaxes. Peppering him with questions every five seconds is just going to get on his nerves. I’ve always thought it is best to limit yourself to about four or five questions per game. That way, you can learn more about the game without your boyfriend thinking you’re a nuisance. Just think of it this way: Would you want your boyfriend asking a million questions while you’re trying to watch Gossip Girl? Of course you wouldn’t. Don’t torture your guy with questions.
4. Don’t root for the rival team just to make him angry. Yeah, it might be funny to watch your rabid Penguins fan boyfriend scream obscenities about the Philadelphia Flyers, but it’s really not cool to root for a rival team just to get a rise out of him. Guys can have very strong feelings about their favorite team. Week in and week out, they root for their team and hate on their rival. It’s like when you watch The Bachelor. You always have that one girl you love and that one girl that you just can’t stand. Guys are the same way with their sports teams. They always have a team they love and a team they hate with a burning passion of a thousand suns. So, if you’re going to talk about the rival team, be sure to say something insulting about them. Your boyfriend will love you even more for that.
5. Don’t make him choose between you and the game. This is just a really mean thing to do. We understand that you want to do things together and want us to pay attention to you as well, but this isn’t the right way to do it. As I previously said, watching sports is how guys relax and enjoy themselves. There’s also more to watching sports than just looking at the television. Your boyfriend loves his favorite team. Ever since he was a little kid and his dad introduced him to the game, he’s been rooting for that team. If he’s lucky, he has probably gone to a game with his family. He thinks he bleeds his team’s colors. To him, it’s not just a game, it’s a part of him—part of his identity. Yeah, I know it may be hard to grasp. He gets all worked up over the game and you may feel neglected, but he really loves you. For a lot of guys, they would love nothing more than for their girlfriend to at least want to share in their passion for the game. If sports just aren’t your thing though, don’t try to make him give them up for you. Try to be a little flexible. If his team is playing on Monday Night Football, don’t choose that night to make him watch The Notebook. If you are understanding with him, most likely he will do the same for you when it’s time for you to watch Real Housewives.
Well there you have it—the Do’s and Don’ts of watching sports with your guy. Now open a beer, grab a seat on the couch, and help your guy root for his team!
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