The Who, What, When, Where and Why of Watching Professional (American) Football :

The Who, What, When, Where and Why of Watching Professional (American) Football

With the professional football season, or, NFL (National Football League) as we know it as officially upon us, I've got my remote in one hand, beer in the other and I'm ready to rock and roll.

Who watches professional football?

That's easy. Just about everyone. Or, at least almost everyone. Men, women, children. Young people, old people. Teachers, doctors, lawyers, the family priest. People of all races and religions watch football. People of all sizes and shapes. Even the family pet has been known to watch a game or two. Each and every Sunday during football season, stadiums across the country are filled to capacity with thousands of people. Each and every Sunday, millions of TV viewers are tuned to the games.

What is professional football?

For those of you unfamiliar with the game, professional football is not just a bunch of
grown men running back and forth down a field knocking the stuffing out of each other. Professional football is a game played by athletes who possess an unusual combination of both strength and speed. In what other sport do you see men weighing over 300 lbs. that run like the wind? Professional football is a game played with 11 players per side who move at tremendous speed, all working in sync with one another, unlike anything you will see in any other sport.

When do people watch professional football?

The NFL season actually starts in early August with Preseason games. These are games that teams play to get themselves ready for the Regular Season which begins in early September. During the Regular Season, games are played every week, with the majority of the games played Sunday afternoon. There is also a game played on Sunday night, as well as Monday night. In addition, later in the season, there are a few Thursday night games and a Saturday game. Lest we forget, Thanksgiving Day, where you now get to see, not one, not two, but three games! The Regular Season culminates with playoff games beginning in January which are played on Saturdays and Sundays and finally topped off with the Super Bowl Sunday.

Where do people watch professional football?

Anywhere there is a TV. At home, at a friend's house, at a restaurant, at a bar, at the health club, etc. Even your local Sears. Trust me, I know. And I guarantee, wherever there is a TV, there will be a crowd.

If you're really lucky, you'll get to go to the stadium and see the game in person. Depending on where you live, if you are in a cold weather city, better bundle up! But, it's all worth it. Why else would you see 60,000 fans doing it?

Why watch professional football?

Only because it's the greatest game ever! Think about it - why else would millions of fans tune their dials to the game every Sunday? And why would thousands upon thousands fill up stadiums across the U.S.? There must be something to this game, right?

I'm convinced that there are two kinds of people. Those that are already fans and those that want to be fans, but aren't yet because they don't understand football. And the reason they don't understand it, is because they've had nobody (or nothing) to really explain football to them. Granted, it does have a "lingo" all its own, but I guarantee, once you've come to learn it, you won't look back.