Today I went to a football game.
It was my first NFL game ever!
I’ve lived in the Jacksonville, Florida area for two years now, also known as Duval County. Or, more colloquially, DUUUVALLLLL! One thing I’ve noticed about living in a variety of places is the varying commitments to the sports teams in each place.
Growing up in rural central Illinois, we knew about the Chicago Bulls and Bears, but the biggest rivalry was Cubs or Cardinals. College sports weren’t a big deal, but we lived for Friday night lights! High school football is what small towns thrive on!
Living in Michigan, the first question I was asked after “What is your name?” was “Michigan or Michigan State?” Not only was college athletics a big deal, but there were a lot more sports in general. Hockey, lacrosse, rollerblading, and more were treated with the same respect as volleyball, basketball, football, and baseball. These were not even options in my area growing up!
In Florida, skateboarding, surfing, and fishing are much more popular. And college football… I had no clue the chaos and commitment of choosing a team was the most important decision I would make living in the south! There’s a whole new vocabulary here–ROLL TIDE, War Eagle, Orange and Blue… It’s a lot to learn and keep track of!
Regardless of the importance of sports in each state I’ve lived, one thing transcends all three cultures: camaraderie. It’s just fun! And people stick together, bonding over seemingly insignificant sports equipment, players they’ll never meet, and statistics that become obsolete once the season is over.
So although this was my first NFL game and I know absolutely nothing about the Jaguars, it was so much fun! I found myself jumping to my feet when we scored a touchdown. I yelled “DEFENSE!” just like I did as a cheerleader in high school. The drumline, the mascot… I became a fan in those couple of hours I sat in the stands.
But of course I’m still me, so I found myself thinking more about the operations than the game. I was mesmerized thinking about what goes into announcing, knowing how much time between plays to play music and interact with the crowd, the fireworks, the singer of the National Anthem, the graphics they show on the screen at every first down, and more. Aside from the actual football playing, there was a lot going on! Audio and visual stimulants were constant.
Open up the program and you’ll find a list of players and coaches, but in reality there are hundreds of people off the field that make the experience what it is. There’s always more to the story, even in football.
Today I went to a football game. I went to my first NFL game ever. And I was reminded that what happens behind the scenes is far more complex than what we see.
