A new season

new season

Remember when I said I’d be back in March for Combine + Draft coverage?

What I actually meant was April.

And what I actually actually meant was April… 2015. Or beyond.

Let me tell you a story.

I started a new job and moved during the playoffs with every intention to keep Football for Normal Girls rolling into the offseason and then seamlessly into the 2014 Regular Season. I had kept the blog up and running while working full-time before, so I figured I’d just do it again. No problem.

But here’s the thing: I will be in Africa during the Draft this year. A span of days that are usually spent in front of multiple Twitter feeds and TV screens will instead be spent documenting stories of healing in Zambia and Malawi. And I think that turn of events represents a sincere directional shift.

Instead of watching film on NFL Rewind this offseason, I’m watching…films. I’m trying to get better at a craft (photography + videography) instead of teaching a different craft. It’s not that what I am doing now matters more than what I was doing before. As a follower of Jesus, I hold tightly to the belief that God is sovereign; He puts purpose into all things. So it’s not that football is frivolous and healing is serious; it’s that it feels like He is giving me something different to steward in this season of life. And I can’t be fully committed there if I’m also fully committed here.

I’m not closing up shop here at Football for Normal Girls permanently, but I am going to be taking a step back this season. I have no idea what that looks like, but I know for sure it does not look like Regularly Scheduled Programming.

I’m still a crazy passionate fan. I still love football as much as ever. This is just a friendly little PSA to let you all know that this regular season will be irregular, and I hope you’ll stick around for the (long-term, unclear, twisty-and-turny) ride.

If you’d like to check out the work I’m excited to be doing full-time for CURE, check out these videos. You can also find me blogging on a personal level at bekawatts.com

Thanks for being so awesome.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting…A Football Blog

football, news, 2013

It has been a GREAT 2013 season here at Football for Normal Girls! Thank you all so much for being along for the ride!

What’s next? It will be all quiet on the home front for the immediate future, but you can expect the blog to be up and running again once the Combine begins in March! A full offseason schedule will be announced, sure to keep you plugged into all things NFL and ready to rock the 2014 season.

See you all soon!

…What Do We Do Now?

Welp. We are currently in the first days of the dreaded Football Drought. If you are still reading this website post-Super Bowl, you probably fall into the category of someone who is not looking forward to the long (loooooog) off-season. Here are a few dates you can put on the calendar to get you through until September 2014 finally arrives.

NFL

The Combine • February 19-25

NFL New Year (Free Agency Begins) • March 11

Draft Day Premieres in Theaters • April 11

2014 Schedule Released • April 17 (my birthday present!)

The Draft • May 8-10

NFL Hall of Fame Induction • August 3

Non-NFL Events (like there is such a thing)

The Olympics • February 7-23

March Madness • March 18 – April 7

Opening Day of the MLB Season • March 31

The Masters • April 10-13

Boston Marathon • April 21

NBA Finals Begin • June 5

College World Series • June 14-25

FIFA World Cup • June 16 – July 13

Wimbledon • June 23 – July 6

Tour de France • July 7-27

PGA Championship • August 7-10

Little League World Series • August 14-24

College Football Begins • August 30

And then, September arrives, and we’re all in the clear: NFL football will be back.

Let’s start counting down the days, people.

*Looking for another sporting event not on this calendar? Check out ESPN’s Major Events Calendar.

Ten Memorable Posts of 2013

Similar to yesterday’s post, these may not be the “best” posts of the season, but they are the ones I’ll remember the most. Here are 10 of my favorite posts from 2013, listed from earliest to most recent:

10. The Preseason Roundup Series

Because it’s always fun to look back and see how wrong preseason predictions are. (Texans, I’m looking at you.)

9. 10 Things You Need to Know to Watch an NFL Game

The basic basics rolled into one post. But wait, there’s more! A free printable reference guide!

8. Ten Common Penalties (Part 1) (Part 2)

An introduction to penalties that won’t make your brain melt.

7. How Do I Pick a Team?

The essence of being a fan. This post was sponsored by 17 years of Packers fandom.

6. The Difference Between Vs. and At

A simple rule that makes all the difference when trying to figure who is playing where.

5. Actual Field Goal Distance

Because it’s essential to avoid confusion. (If they are standing at the 30 yard line…why is it a 47 yard field goal?) (Exactly.)

4. Football Field Fundamentals

I made a video and didn’t pass out in the middle of it. Major win.

3. Their Own 20-yard Line

Similar to #5: essential to avoid confusion during a football broadcast.

2. The 12 Posts of Playoffs

Hopefully this was a helpful series! I really loved writing it and extending Christmas well into January.

1. What It Means to Love a Team

A true story.

Were there any posts that were especially helpful for you that didn’t make this list? Any you needed but didn’t see? Let me know!

Ten Memorable Moments of 2013

As part of the mourning process that takes place once the season ends, let’s think back to the good times. AKA, let’s actively practice avoidance. It’s fun!

These may not be the “best” moments of the 2013 season, but they are a few I’ll remember most.

10. Farewell to Tony

Tony Gonzalez had to retire at some point, but it’s a shame to see him go. What a career. If you are looking for a good read on Gonzalez, click on the link above. Excellent piece on MMQB.

9. Knowshon Moreno Waterfall Tears

Tears that leave you saying, “WHOA.” Did not know water could come out of someone’s face like that.

8. Mike Tomlin Joins the Action

I’m in the minority here, but I don’t think he did it on purpose. Mike Tomlin is a good guy.

7. The Snow Bowl

I was driving to Pennsylvania that day and heard that the game was pretty snowy, but it’s one of those You Have To See It To Believe It kind of scenes. It was pretty awesome as far as iconic football moments go, and pretty unawesome as far as actual football-playing goes.

6. Manning Returns to Indy

If the standing ovation Peyton received when he returned to Indy doesn’t make you well up with tears, you might not be human.

5. The Weirdest Touchdown

I still can’t believe the Boykin fumble touchdown really happened. It felt like finding out that your office is closed on a random holiday when you fully expected to work and now you have the day off. Which is to say, it was the best.

4. The Best Touchdown

Also the Never Say Never play of the year!

3. Tom Brady Left Hanging

This gets me every time. Tom Brady can get pretty much anything in the world…except a high five.

2. Patriots Comeback Win Against Denver

Or why I’m glad I didn’t go to bed at halftime.

1. Peyton

When I think about the 2013 season, I think the first thing that will come to mind is Peyton. What he did this year – to be 37, recovered from major surgery, playing his second year with a new team, and having one of the best seasons in quarterbacking history, if not the best season – was mind blowing. What happened on Sunday? Equally mind blowing. No one likes to see a good guy get beat like that. There will be a whole mixed bag of intense Peyton-related emotions when it comes to remembering 2013.

How about you guys? What will you remember from this season?

At the Water Cooler : Super Bowl 48

Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos (Seahawks won, 43-8)

Well…where to begin?

I always get concerned when Super Bowls are forecasted to be close because they tend not to play out that way. In this case, that was the understatement to beat all understatements.

It began oddly. Did we all catch the coin toss (no pun intended)? Let’s not talk about The Fur Coat (because, wow), but the coin toss reminded me of one of my favorite Friends episodes. “Somebody call it this time!”

And then it continued oddly, with a safety on the first play from scrimmage. A safety on the first play of a Super Bowl is probably a prop bet that made someone a LOT of money. A miscommunication between the center, Ramirez, and Manning led to 2 easy, early points for the Seahawks.

It was pretty much all downhill from there for the Broncos. Seattle scored three consecutive times – safety, field goal, field goal – for an 8-point lead that felt like an 800-point lead. At halftime, it was 22-0. 

And 12 seconds into the second half…it was 29-0.

It was safe to say the Broncos weren’t in Omaha anymore.

It’s kind of inexplicable what happened to the Broncos last night. While watching, I really felt like we were all having one big Super Bowl nightmare. We couldn’t really all be watching the complete and total collapse of the Denver Broncos, could we? It couldn’t possibly end like this for Manning after having the best season of any quarterback, ever, could it?

Yep. It sure did.

Save for the 8 points scored off of a touchdown and 2-point conversion, it really could not have gone worse for the Broncos. An awful way to end an incredible season.

The Seahawks, though? They were incredible when it mattered most. They forced a lot of mistakes by the Broncos. A well-deserved win by a frighteningly good defense and an offense that stepped up and played very well. We should probably get used to Seattle sticking around for awhile: they have the youngest roster in the NFL, with an average age of 26.4.

The Legion of Boom. The 12th Man. They’re all here to stay.

How was the Super Bowl for you all? Any moments that stood out?  Any happy Seahawks fans in the crowd?