Faith, Football & Food

A friend recently posted this question on LinkedIn:

“WANTED: Hobbies for couples that suddenly have LOTS of free nights and weekends?”

My reply was very simple:

“I have three letters for you: NFL.”

I was partly joking. But after I posted it, I realized there was probably more truth in those three letters than I intended.

Because in our family, NFL football has never been just about football.

A few years ago, right before the start of the season, one of my older daughter’s friends made a comment that has stayed with me:

“Thank God the NFL is starting. I am such a nice and happy person during football season.”

We laughed, but I knew exactly what she meant.

There is something different about our family when football season arrives.

Even when my daughters were away at college, the NFL kept us connected. They would call to talk about games, picks, players and predictions. There was plenty of trash talk, especially when someone's confident prediction went completely wrong.

Distance didn't seem quite as far when there was a game to talk about.

And during football season, our family calendar becomes pretty simple.

Monday night? Football.
Thursday night? Football.
Sunday? Make sure you go to the early morning church service so you're back home by 10:00 AM for kickoff!

And then there are those international games that start around 6:00 AM. Those are the weeks when Saturday evening church service suddenly becomes a very attractive option.

I know how that sounds, but I also know myself pretty well.

I'm the kind of guy who would rather be sitting at the game feeling guilty about not being in church than sitting in church wondering what the score is.

Lord, forgive me.

At least I'm being honest!

And then there are those special Sundays when we actually get to go to the stadium.

What a joy ride that is.

Honestly, the game itself is only part of the experience.

It starts with the road trip together. Then comes the parking lot, the pregame routines, walking toward the stadium with thousands of other fans, finding our seats, the music, the energy, and then standing for the National Anthem with some 71,000 people around you.

There is something about that moment.

Then comes kickoff, the noise, the cheering, the high-fives with complete strangers and, of course, all the food that somehow tastes better on game day.

And after the game?

Those bacon-wrapped street dogs waiting outside the stadium!

Then comes the ride back home—sometimes celebrating, sometimes analyzing what went wrong, sometimes complaining about a call that we're absolutely convinced cost us the game.

Win or lose, the conversation continues all the way home.

You just can't put a dollar amount on days like that.

And we've created another little tradition that I have come to love.

Every year, a few friends and family members pick one Rams away game, pack our bags and travel to another city together to watch our Rams play.

Last year, it was Seattle.

This year, it's Vegas.

Yes, technically we're traveling to watch a football game.

But that's really just the excuse.

It's the flight or road trip. The meals. The jokes. The trash talk. Exploring another city. Wearing Rams gear in enemy territory. And spending a weekend with people you care about.

It all adds up to family time.

And those are the memories that stay with you long after you've forgotten the final score.

My wife has never been the biggest football fan in the family. For years, she has patiently listened to conversations about quarterbacks, trades, injuries, terrible referee calls and, of course, my beloved Rams.

But I think we are slowly winning her over.

Last week, one of my daughters mentioned to her that Dad might be going to Kansas City next month.

My wife's immediate response was:

“Is he going to watch the Chiefs play?”

The girls and I loved it.

She knew!

It was such a small thing, but somehow it made all of us happy. After all these years, maybe Mom is finally becoming one of us.

And that little moment reminded me that this really isn't about football.

Years from now, I probably won't remember the scores of most of these games. I won't remember every pick we made, every player we argued about, or every terrible referee's call.

But I will remember my daughters calling me from college to talk football.

I will remember the trash talk.

I will remember everyone trying to get home in time for kickoff.

I will remember those road trips to the stadium.

I will remember standing for the National Anthem surrounded by 71,000 people.

I will remember Seattle.

I will remember Vegas.

I will remember those bacon-wrapped street dogs after the game.

And most of all, I will remember who was sitting beside me through all of it.

Because football is simply one of the reasons we gather.

And gathering is what matters.

So perhaps my three-letter LinkedIn answer—NFL—wasn't quite complete.

If you asked me what really brings our family together, I would give you three words instead:

Faith. Football. Food.

Faith keeps us grounded.
Football keeps us talking.
Food keeps us around the same table.

And somewhere between those three things, we keep making memories.

So, to my friend looking for hobbies to fill all those suddenly free nights and weekends, I stand by my original recommendation:

NFL.

Just be careful.

It starts as a hobby.

Then your daughters start calling you from college to talk about picks.

Your Sundays start being planned around kickoff.

Your church service selection mysteriously begins depending on the NFL schedule.

You start planning family trips around Rams away games.

And then, one day, your wife—who was never really a football fan—asks whether you're flying to Kansas City to watch the Chiefs.

That's when you know.

You've got the whole family.

And perhaps that's why those three letters mean so much more to me than just a game.

NFL.

Or, in our house:

Faith. Football. Food.

Thank God, the NFL is back.