Long Live the Female Sports Junkie

Funny, thought provoking, and oh so very true. This also offers a great start to my most recent bout with being female and a sports junkie.

Last week I was riveted with a profound (not really) revelation provided by my higher ups at work.

Some back story...

The great thing about my job is that if something doesn't work you have to fix it. No if's, and's, or but's about it. So when we got some news that told certain people that something about their performance needed to be changed, we all sat and started looking at what needed to be changed as a whole and then at their level as well.

Here is one thing that I love about media in general. I love that you have to constantly be up on trend, its hard and frustrating, but it keeps me on my toes and causes me to keep learning, which I don't mind at all. Which is also a reason that I love sports so much.

In a profession where I have to constantly change and evolve the way I'm reaching an audience I love that there is something out there that remains so unchanged (almost) that nearly everyone can relate to it. I like to think of sports as the great equalizer. Are their varying degrees of sports junkies? Of course. But it all starts with a passion for a sport, its that simple.

Now I have been told by more than one person (men mostly) that I am not a "normal" girl, when it comes to sports. I however am that awesome girl that you want to take to a game and hang out with (woohoo! Hello Friend Zone, I've missed you). But the fact of the matter is this I'm not the usual girl, and I know that, but I still feel that I can relate to women. My main reason for this argument is that I still posses a pair of bodacious tata's. I think that kind of gives me a edge on the whole relating to women thing.

Here is my case in point... This change that I think needs to happen is that we need to bring on more information when it comes to sports. I don't care about the funny little kitschy things you do unless you can provide me with the things I want, which are stats, and real tangible information. I have limited viewing time on Saturdays during college football season and I need to take advantage of every second of it.

Now with that said I'm the abnormality.... Or so I'm told. I've also been told this is why my guy friend like to argue sports with me, because I know what I'm talking about.

But that is neither here nor there.

My colleague who agrees with me tossed the suggestion of putting some real sports info out there for the audience and she was completely dismissed, because she "isn't the norm"... I get it, but let's face it in a college town where football is king, everyone has a working knowledge of the team and the sport that goes beyond who has a the better looking tight end in their football pants (catch that play on words). What cracked me up was the fact that my higher up said that his wife could care less about all of that stuff... I literally laughed, because in my part of the country a woman who doesn't care about sports, football in particular needs to turn in her Southern woman card. And probably her Texan card now that I think about it.

I consider my self a Southerner second and a Texan first. I have all the allures of a Southern woman, with the drawl, independent nature and a couple of other key Texan only things.

But what got me is this, I found it, almost ignorant to think that women don't care about the biggest social events of the season. Let's face it, on the most basic level, football is a great reason for women of the south to get dressed up and have some fun with friends. Tailgating and football games are the ultimate social scene in the south. Period. End of story. Choosing what you wear to a football game can be a more daunting task than finding a dress for a black tie event.

But what do I know? I'm just a woman... Heaven help us!

What I do know is that I love watching stunned men, when myself and another woman start to weigh in on games and what we think seasons are shaping up to look like for more than one team... Yes, smart women are well versed on the important teams, their standings and the players to watch.

Actually what is better is the ridiculous look that men get on their face when myself and another woman start talking sports all by our lonesome, no prompting from a man. Actually some of my better sports debates have come at the hands of another female.

But what do I know about what women want?... I guess nothing (yes, I'm being sarcastic).

What I do know is that according to recent surveys and statistics is this almost half of the viewing audience for large scale viewing opportunities when it comes to sports are women.

Here are a couple of articles (older yes, but I'm sure the stats have just grown):
ESPN W
The Sports Women Watch According To Forbes
TV by the Numbers

*Just a quick note on the Forbes article, you know these guys are all about knowing what certain demographics are watching. Its a business magazine that is created with the purpose to give business men/ women the capacity to reach their target demographics to sell their goods and services. They put out the money for the research.

Men that read this, which I'm sure are few and far between, do me a favor and don't dismiss women's opinions on sports. We have spent time educating ourselves on the sports, and the teams that we love, and more than likely your teams too. And men if you are some of the lucky ones that have the type of women that you know can help you out (and probably have) with your fantasy teams, make sure she knows that you appreciate her "abnormality"...

Point is gentlemen, if you have one of the rare breeds of women that understands what the last 5 minutes of a football game really looks like, or knows the difference between a first down and a touch down, count your lucky stars; cause that woman was brought up right. And you need to make sure that this well educated woman that has graced your life needs to be respected in the same way that you respect her.

On a minor side note, this season I will not be standing on sidelines, so that means this sports junkie is gonna have weekly picks and follow ups all season long.

Lock in for a fun and wild ride this season ladies... and gentlemen.

The countdown to college football kickoff is on!

Long live the female sports junkie!

And that's just this sports junkies opinion.