How I Learned to Love Football and Spend Time with My Husband

I married my wonderful husband in June of 1990. Though I knew he was an ardent Dallas Cowboys fan, I had no idea how much of an impact his love of football would play into our marriage. I soon realized that I had a choice: I could either spend Sundays by myself (or with other football widows) and since we had only one television at the time, spend Mondays reading a book, or I could start watching football.

After the first few years I decided that I would start watching my husband's beloved Cowboys play. This was the early 90's and the Cowboys were not having a great year, though my husband was the eternal optimist. At the end of each disappointing season he (along with my father-in-law, another ardent Cowboys fan) would say, "Well, there's always next year."

Within three years I was hooked. I began watching games even when my husband was not around. It was so nice to have another thing in common. Granted, there have been seasons, particularly when my children were very small, that neither of us watched many games. However, I always tried to make sure that he caught his Cowboy games, even if it meant recording them for him to watch later.

I've had other wives ask me how I can stand watching football. I have decided that the key is understanding the game. Here is a short primer for those women who wish to actually spend time with their husbands or boyfriends during football season.

First, scoring. A touchdown is worth 6 points. The extra point is obviously worth one point. A field goal is worth three points. These are the primary score-makers. There are two other ways to score. There is the safety, which is worth two points, and the two-point attempt after a touchdown, which, if successful, is also worth two points. The two-point attempt is done in lieu of an extra point.

The primary terms of a game:

Offense: The team with the ball.

Defense: The team trying to keep the offense from scoring.