Opinion: Six reasons why I love football

Matthew Bertovich

Matthew Bertovich

Matthew Bertovich is a junior psychology major and columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact him at [email protected].

Football is the best sport. Here’s why:

It fits our schedule. To begin, football is primarily on one day a week, which is perfect for our routine American lives. This day happens to be Sunday, just one day before the standard workweek begins. It’s even on during the perfect time of the year: September through February. These months are the coldest, so while you’re stuck inside, football can keep you entertained. Try to imagine Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve without football.

Each game matters. Basketball and hockey teams each have 82 games a year during the regular season. Baseball teams have a whopping 162. So many matchups dilute the importance of each given game. What is one loss when you have so many other opportunities to win? On the other hand, National Football League teams have 16 games a year, not counting preseason and postseason. This intensifies the importance of each and every game. Any loss, especially against a division opponent, can affect their season in the long run.

Fantasy football. The NFL is easier to follow than any other sport. Fewer games allow you to stay up to date on your favorite teams and players. With this, you can easily manage a team of players on your quest for money and bragging rights. You’ll not only be invested in your favorite football team (which should be your home team — I’m looking at you, Pittsburgh fans), but also in each game containing a member from your fantasy team. With inconsistent rosters and sporadic schedules, fantasy leagues in other sports are more difficult to manage.

It’s intense. Football is a complicated game on both sides of the ball. On offense, you will watch the quarterback, the wide receivers and the linemen make their way down the field in an attempt to score a touchdown. On defense, you will watch the cornerbacks and the safeties coordinate an effort to prevent a touchdown. Are they rushing or passing? Zone or man coverage? Why did the coach pick that play? Multiple moving pieces make every play interesting. In other sports, like baseball for example, you watch and watch, waiting for a hit or a nice play. While I appreciate a pitching battle as much as the next guy, these events can get boring.

Playoffs. Most professional sports have a “best-of” series, containing up to seven games, but football does not. Teams put everything on the line for one game; it’s win or go home. While Cleveland Browns fans cannot fully appreciate the thrills of a playoff game, I hope to feel that someday — next year, for sure.

The Super Bowl. After a long season, the two best teams face off for the championship, creating the ultimate entertainment experience. Guys get pizza and football. The ladies get commercials and a halftime show.

No other sport is as entertaining or as intelligent as football. The intensity of each game, especially the playoffs and the Super Bowl, separates it from any other televised sport.