Welcome!

The NFL seems to be making a big push for female fans this year. So far all we have learned about these elusive female fans is that many of them reside in Pittsburgh, and that apparently they enjoy wearing logo-adorned tube tops and slapping their girlfriend's asses (see the NFL's new women's apparel ads). Well, we're not all like that. I definitely do not own any Patriots tube tops, nor do I plan to.

I am a girl. I am a serious football fan. I am here to say that yes, you can be both. Every week I'll be talking about my experiences watching football and playing fantasy football with all men, and just sharing the things that I love about the game and the league.

Not long ago I was more likely to be shopping or watching endless reruns of LAGUNA BEACH on a Sunday than watching football. But I moved to Los Angeles with a bunch of my close friends from college, all of whom happened to be men, and football became a part of my life. I call them The Boys, and you will hear much more about them in the future. The Boys are all crazy football fans. One of them even happens to be the son of one of the more legendary football radio announcers in the country. I became the only girl in the group somehow, and when last season they started a fantasy football league, I asked if I could be in it, just for fun. I couldn't really name many football players beyond the superstars but I just wanted something to do. They said absolutely not. Instead we struck a deal - if I spent the season learning everything I could about the NFL, next year if I was up to snuff I could join the league. It started off as more of a fun challenge for me but I found myself falling in love with the game. Soon I was flat out obsessed and there was no more HILLS episodes on Sunday.

Like many girls, I never had much inclination toward sports when I was a kid. I was pretty small and I just couldn't keep up. One foray into soccer at age 5 ended after one season where I believe my team lost every game and several included us scoring into the wrong goal. I just kind of ran around and hoped no one would notice I was terrified of the ball. At least we got some really funny home videos out of it. I danced, sang, and did theater instead and enjoyed myself immensely. I didn't have brothers or that many boy friends, so football just became that thing that made my dad lock himself in the office every Sunday and scream a lot.

After a full year of reading Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback (you will see a lot of PK references in this blog, he is the man) Bill Simmon's Sports Guy, and endless ESPN articles while rolling calls at my assistant desk, and watching NFL Live every day at lunch, I had shocked even myself. I was in, baby, all the way. This ridiculous war game had won me over. I am now the proud owner of a Tom Brady jersey (my favorite player and also the hottest man alive), and a Fathead that my friend Nolan thought was a hilarious gift for my 25th birthday. Do you know how huge those things are? Its insane. And yes, I had won entry into the 2007 fantasy league. In addition, my dad wanted to do one with me, so I added a second team. And our friends and family Pick-em League....and a survior league for good measure.

Four weeks into the season, my team Tom Brady's Babies is in first place in the Boys' league at 4-0, and I am doing well in other league after having my first loss last week (3-1, stupid Drew Brees). I am pretty sure everyone is mad that I am winning. I've already been told it will be unacceptable for me to win the league outright. I plan to do so. On Sunday one of them called me "the Tony Romo of our league." By the way, we all despise Tony Romo (I am from Philadelphia), so this was a monumental insult...but he is leading Dallas to their first 4-0 start since 1995....which happened to be a year they won the Super Bowl. Just saying.

Anyway, on to The State of the Babies:

Another week, another win for the Babies...we're rollin! I won both leagues this week. The Boys' league Babies won pretty easily - having Peyton Manning and the New England defense is pretty helpful week to week, though my receivers were painfully ineffective. Can someone wake up Reggie Wayne? He caught a TD but especially with Marvin Harrison going out he should have been catching more passes. But at least he's doing better than Steve Smith, who I own in my Dad's league. Apparently we have learned that David Carr's problems weren't just that horrible Houston line....he just sucks. And that new long haircut isn't making you look cool, dude. Smith got me zero points last week, and only 3 this week.

I also finally pulled the trigger and sat LJ. I picked up Sammy Morris this week and to my pleasure, he had a career game! Laurence Maroney didn't play and Morris ran for well over 100 yards and a touchdown. He actually scored about the same amount of points as LJ did but at least the decision paid off. Turns out three people I know played Morris this week. What a pickup that was for the Patriots. At the very least, it did not turn into a second bonehead move of the week for me, following my first error in choosing to pick up Trent Green for this week instead of Daunte Culpepper. Daunte was a risk, so I decided to go with the safe choice. No risk no reward must be true! One game later Daunte had run for three touchdowns and thrown two more. Lesson learned.


This Week's Favorite Things About the NFL:

1. Brett Favre. An obvious one but seriously, how can you not love what is happening in Green Bay right now? I read the other day that Favre is 13 years older than some members of his O-line (thanks PK)! And he is proudly rocking the gray hair and the whole grizzled thing. I love the Packers. My grandfather is a life-long Pack fan. He told me not long ago how he went to his first game at age 10 in 1936, the same year the legendary Don Hutson came to the team and they won a championship. Amazing!

2. That the Chargers and the Bears are tanking. I really enjoyed the Chargers electric (no pun intended) team last year until they lost in the playoffs to the Patriots and chose to be sore losers about it. Then they wait until both of their coordinators have been hired away as head coaches to finally fire one of the best coaches in the league. Now they are paying for that mistake. No matter how talented a team might be, play calling and leadership win games. The Bears are incredibly frustrating as well. I was offended last year that they made it to the Super Bowl last year featuring Sexy Rexy, the league's worst quarterback. The blind support they held for him was utterly baffling. Now they have been forced to transition to a new QB midseason and at a time when they are riddled with injuries. Just bad decisionmaking.

3. Tom Brady is completing almost 80% of his passes. Trust me you will hear a lot about Tommy. Doesn't get much better than this. The Patriots look unstoppable.

Random Thought of the Week

So Britney finally lost the kids. How sad. You never want to see someone's life go down the toilet and this is becoming a freak show. I pray she isn't such an idiot that she failed one of those drug tests she was going to have to take weekly, but I wouldn't be surprised. I only hope that Kevin can take better care of them. They are so little and their lives are completely unstable. Poor things.

I have a pretty intense match-up next week in the Boys' league but I'll be at the Angels-Red Sox playoff game in Anaheim during the games! Baseball on a Sunday?! Crazy I know, but it is the playoffs. Hope to see you back here next week!