The football season-opener is mere days away, it is time to go over things that need to be checked before watching the game. In no particular order here are 10 things that are essential before the game.
10. Prepare your First Aid Kit. Injuries can happen on the couch. Fist pumps inadvertently go astray, your best friend may trip over the extension cord. Stuff happens.
9. If you are sending your children off to the babysitter, make sure the babysitter is available, mothing can drag down high anticipations more than poor planning. Pay extra if one must. As you speak to the teen-ager, recognize that you are a hostage to your passions and slow yourself down in your explanation of the importance of the game.
8. Check your television. Make sure you know how to access the sports channel on your TV provider. Check the picture quality. Clean the TV area. Make sure you have a clear, unobstructed view of the screen. Remove clutter and clean the TV stand. The idea is to not have to use the First Aid Kit if someone stumbles and hits their head on a coffee table. Check the batteries in your TV remote. A sure party killer is not being able to manipulate the TV on commercial breaks.
Run a Load of Laundry
7. Wash your team’s jersey. Perhaps you just tucked away the jersey on a chair in the corner of your bedroom at the end of last season, wishing the season had not ended pre-maturely. The jersey doesn’t move by itself. It has been sitting there, just collecting dust. Don’t be offensive to your friends by wearing your favorite stinky, smelling jersey that hasn’t been washed in 9 months. It is the football season-opener You want to see your friends again, preferably soon.
6. Confirm who is coming. Last second changes do happen, even with best friends.
5. It’s Football season. Recognize this. The baseball season, especially here in the metropolitan area is over. There is nothing good to be said. The New York Mets are not very good. The New York Yankees are even worse. The less said the better. It is football season. Know this.
4. Bets – Fantasy Football, wagers, football pools need to be set up in advance. Consider making small bets on the final score with everyone in the game. If the game is a blow out, bets on the final score ensure that people are not cutting out at halftime.
Football Season-Opener Rituals
3. Prepare your game-day rituals. Do you play a certain song before the game? Do you have an annual football season-opener ritual? Shaving versus not shaving. How about making sure that everyone knows where your favorite spot on the couch is? Communication is good. Do you have a specific pre-game meal? If it is at the diner down the street, and you haven’t eaten there since your team’s disappointing season loss, make sure that the eatery is still open and in business!
2. The food: What is watching a football game without good food? Buffalo wings, Nachos, Sliders, Quesadillas are all Americana. Food makes people happy. Food preparation will be your biggest time obstacle. Allocate plenty of time to prepare the food. You can’t control the outcome of the game. But everyone can have a happy stomach.
1. Be good to your spouse. You are in it for the long haul. Be kind.
Barry Schustermann
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