Football

Although only exhibition games are going on so far, the NFL is back. I haven’t been a life long fan, but I have become more and more interested in football during the past few years. It started when I was in my first awkward weeks of law school and everyone was talking about the malpractice bowl, an annual game between the law and med schools. 2005 was a special year because some ladies decided that they wanted to play too so each school formed a women’s team. It was kind of a commitment because the teams held practices a few times a week for the first few weeks of school (the game was usually the second weekend in September).

I didn’t even bother going to the first practice because I thought it wouldn’t be for me. Later that week, I was standing in some line for something, probably for my financial aid disbursement or something, and one of my classmates who was standing in front of my in line started talking to me and told me she had been at the practice and that I should play. I wanted to make friends so I went! It turned out to be a great decision because practice was a blast! So was football! I had never really known the rules and dismissed it as boring. At high school games and Superbowl parties I spent the time talking to my friends. I enjoy the game of basketball and the complicated and tricky plays and the defensive zones. I know I’m not a bad athlete but after a disappointing time in high school I didn’t think I ever really wanted to play team sports again. I kept my athletic exploits to skiing, rollerblading, swimming and weight lifting on my own at the university wellness center. I would fill in occasionally for intramural basketball and played on a co-ed intramural volleyball team that was nothing but a disaster with the males smashing the ball across the arena and through the other games while everyone laughed at them but other than that I avoided team sports.

During malpractice bowl practice we ran drills with our coaches, who were male law students. We ran patterns and practiced throwing and catching. Then we separated into offense and defense (I went to defense because I was better at defense in basketball) and started practicing and I realized that I wasn’t bad at any of this stuff! I could catch interceptions and wasn’t as slow as I thought when grabbing the flags (this was flag football, of course, not tackle). And, the best part was, we laughed a lot! No pressure, no sneers from other players or coaches after a mistake, no eye rolls or drama. No line sprints after mistakes or embarrassment about asking for clarification. Imagine that…a team sport that was fun in every way! Well…almost every way…one of the players suffered a broken nose during practice and there were other minor injuries such as fat lips!

On game day, which was on a Friday, all the players wore their new t-shirt/jerseys to school. The ladies played in the afternoon, usually around 3. The men’s game was the main event afterwards. After that there was a party. There were always fewer fans at our women’s game but that was OK because then we got to relax and indulge in some refreshments in the stands while watching the men’s game! And by refreshments, I mean beer and mixed drinks. Who am I fooling anyway?!

My first and second years, we ladies lost and the guys won. Although the games were supposed to be flag, they always got pretty rough and since we played on the old outdoor football field on campus turf burn was a danger and everyone played in pants. We also wore mouth guards (which I hate!) after a few close calls in practice. I wouldn’t want my years of orthodontia ruined during a non-serious flag football game! During my first year game, I was playing safety and after I dove and ripped off a offensive player’s flag she punched me in the sternum and left a bruise! Yikes. My second year I actually caught an interception but right after I caught the ball the timer buzzed and I didn’t start running because I thought play ended. The med student near me knew, however, and slammed into me (I was just standing there! She could have just pulled my flag…) Haha. The guys watching in the stands thought it was hilarious.


This picture was taken by the school's PR guy who was always on hand to take pictures for brochures and the website. He took many pictures at the games and they were really good and professional looking!
My third year we owned them (the guys lost)! Hahaha! We had a Norwegian student who was a very fast runner and soccer star and she couldn’t be stopped on offense. Also, after two years of physical abuse and defeat we pulled a crazy trick play and they didn’t know what hit them. After that, the rage was ignited and the no-contact rule was disregarded as the med students started pushing, pulling clothes, grabbing the flag belt to yank people down, and stiff-arming. The officials just kind of gave up. I’m laughing just thinking about it. The next Monday at school I commented that the impossible place to tone, the area where the arm jiggles that drives many women crazy, was sore. I wanted to figure out what I had done that made that happen so I could keep doing it! It was caused by pushing offensive players. . Ohhhh yeaaaah. No amount of bench pressing has ever had that effect.

The whole team in 2005
My classmates in 2005

The whole team in 2006


My classmates in 2007. We always took a series of team pictures afterwards. We did offense, defense, each class, and the whole team. Them we had the coaches in there, and us making faces, etc. This last picture was taken at a high school because the turf was being repaired at the campus field. The grass was a relief for the knees!

At the after-party with the med students everyone usually had fun and without fail some self righteous med student would be going around to all the law students asking them if they just wanted to be a lawyer for the money (like any of them wanted to work for free!?). But there was a keg, so that was good!
After I got married I started watching more football with Justin and started taking interest in certain players and teams. I even have an NFL crush/fantasy boyfriend who I will devote a post to at a later date. Maybe tomorrow...