If you’re anything like me, you go to Westmont High School football games to spend time with your friends, watch the cheerleaders at halftime, and eat an exorbitant amount of snack shack foods. However, I’ve recently learned that there is another activity one can participate in at football games: actually watching the game.
I know this sounds crazy, but it turns out that football games can be…kind of interesting. And Westmont, I’ve learned, is not half-bad. This year I dedicated myself to learning the rules of football, and I would encourage you to do the same; it made football season much more entertaining and helped me relate to my parents as they screamed at the TV when the 49ers destroyed the Eagles.
Football is not complicated. If you understand the rules of literally any other sport, you can understand the rules of football. But to sum it up, each team wants to get the ball to the other end of the field, by any means possible. The opposing team stops this by tackling them. Simple. Start with these basic rules, and try sitting down to watch a game. Pay attention to the trick plays and the incredibly violent tackles, and you will be hooked in no time. It seems to me that all parents understand the rules of football, so try asking them if you get confused. I know it made my mom happy to field my questions on flags, field goals, and fouls.
Hopefully, during next year’s football season, you can appreciate the experience a little more as you look at the field and actually understand what is going on. Instead of turning to the guy next to you asking, “how many points is a field goal?” you can enjoy your 5-dollar hot potato in peace and watch Westmont destroy Prospect once again.