Every year, the Super Bowl is either the most widely watched television event of the year in the United States, or it comes pretty close to being #1. This is a testament to how popular the NFL really is, and it speaks volumes about the fans that follow the sport year round–and not just for the postseason.
As a football fan, you have certain favorites, both when it comes to teams and individual players. Following your favorites from preseason to the end of the regular season, only to see them make the playoffs and then the Super Bowl is very fulfilling. It’s a feeling that the casual fan–the one that is more interested in the commercials and the big plays of the Super Bowl than anything else–misses out on. Being a fan of this sort is rewarding, and it gives you a level of entertainment that is rare.
Fantasy Football
It also gives you a knowledge of the game that most others do not have. So, why not use that knowledge to your benefit? There are plenty of fantasy football leagues out there to join, some with cash rewards, even. These have always been for the hardcore fans in the past as most leagues always lasted an entire season, but daily fantasy football leagues are now widely available thanks to the web, which make it so that even a fan with a casual interest in football can join and not have to worry about the time commitment. This has opened up all sorts of doors to those with an advanced understanding of the game. There are many people that play in these one day leagues that do not have the same level of knowledge when it comes to predicting the outcomes of games as serious fans, and that means there are a lot of money making opportunities here. One day leagues are completely legal in most of the United States.
The Excitement of the Postseason
Once Week 17 ends, things heat up. The top teams all have an equal shot at making the Super Bowl at this point, even if they just barely made it out of the regular season alive. All a team needs to do at this point is just not lose. Of course, when you are up against the best of the best, that’s not easy. With a little bit of luck and a lot of talent, the best teams stay on, and the lesser teams have their seasons end. This goes on until the field is narrowed down to two teams, one from the AFC and one from the NFC.
The Super Bowl has such a huge atmosphere that it can seem larger than life. If you’ve ever gone to see this game, you know just how amazing and surreal it is. You’ve probably never been down on the field for a game, but it is even more magical there.
That is, unless you’re playing. Most seasoned veterans that play in the Super Bowl know that it’s just another game. Yes, there’s a ton of pressure and millions upon millions are watching your every move, but it’s still business as usual. The best players are able to filter out all of the distractions of the countless television cameras, halftime show performers, and screaming fans. For the best players, they are completely focused on their athletic performances, and not the hype. That’s what you should be looking for in a player. That’s what makes the best players. They are focused and determined so that even these monumental distractions are irrelevant. The only thing that matters is moving the ball toward the endzone.
The Offseason
This might seem silly to mention, but for a lot of fans, the offseason is almost as exciting as the regular season. Teams make a large number of moves with their players during the spring and summer months, and which players are moved in and out of a team can have a big bearing on their success once the season begins. When the Broncos released Tim Tebow and named Peyton Manning as their main quarterback, heads turned. Tebow was supposed to be the future of the franchise and even took them to the postseason. But there’s no doubt that moving Manning in did wonders for Denver. It’s the moves like this that make football the game that it is, and all of this happened before a single game was played that season. This, followed by the building tension of summer training camps and preseason games, creates a perfect setting for the NFL season to begin with. Most likely, the players who aren’t working deals in the offseason are most likely playing daily fantasy golf or hitting the links themselves. This is a time to get healthy and make your paycheck for the following year.
What’s your favorite thing about football? Honestly, as long as you are enjoying the games, that’s all that matters. Whether you’re a stats fan and love the fantasy aspect of things, you love the excitement of each play, or you are just mesmerized by the general strategy of the game doesn’t really matter. Football is a complex sport and tons of fun to watch.