It’s an old refrain, but there’s something magical about fall. The heat dissipates, and with it much of the bleakness of summer. A season devoid of holidays, gatherings, and any semblance of community is over, and the joys of Thanksgiving and Christmas are around the corner.

But I’m not here to talk about fall. I’m here to talk about football season.

You’ve been waiting for this season since your team either finished their regular season or had the privilege of playing in the postseason. You’ve suffered through hockey, baseball, and countless other lesser sports. You might have even watched tennis to scratch that itch. But none if it really felt right, right? 

Enter American Football.

Not just a sport, a spectacle. A chess game consisting of 22 premier athletes trying to make sure they’re bigger, faster, stronger, and smarter than the guys on the opposing sideline. A head coach that’s either a straight-laced professional or brilliant mastermind (boring or crazy if they’re the opposing coach). Loyal fans and opportunistic bandwagoners bickering about who liked their team first. Stupid bets bringing up predictions from previous years. If all else fails, disparaging the educational status of universities or the entertainment options of the opposing city’s team—“At least we don’t have to go home to Oklahoma.”

Another old refrain is that there’s too much hate in the world today. Hate rooted in religion, politics, and music preferences. But there is one kind of hate that everyone can gather around and enjoy sharing.

That hate is football season.

Whether you root for a perennial contender or a scrappy underdog, you’re giddy for the season to get underway. You’ve probably begun trash talking the cupcake team you’re about to demolish on twitter. And you know the cool part about it? It doesn’t divide people. You’re not going to be resented for it. It’s part of the fun.

But the joy of football season isn’t only found in hate. It’s found in tailgates reconnecting with friends you didn’t expect to see. It’s found in the silly little traditions (very important traditions if it’s Baylor) done throughout the day. It’s found in the undervalued player making the highlight of the game. 

Occasionally it’s found in the excused you make as to why your team lost.

But even then, after suffering a loss, even an embarrassing loss, there’s joy to be found in football. Because there’s always next week.

Photo by Drew Mills