Jul 17, 2024 3 min read

It’s almost here!

I’m talking about the most wonderful time of the year: football season. Yes, I know, it’s silly to get so excited about a game or sport, but it really is so much fun for me. I’ve always loved football the most of any sport.

The Steelers start training camp very soon, and the first preseason game is less than a month away. Better yet, the first West Virginia University home football game (and tailgate) is less than 50 days away and it’s a big one: Penn State at home! We are already talking about what should be on the early morning tailgate menu, as kickoff is at noon.

My husband and I both love sports, and I think that’s one of the really fun things about our relationship: We can (and often do) spend countless hours talking about sports and most often either football or Indycar racing. After all, we first met through friends at a WVU tailgate in the Blue Lot outside of Mountaineer Field. I introduced him to Indycar racing a few years back by taking him to the Indy 500 and he loved it.

Even though I love playing, watching and attending sporting events, I used to laugh at friends and coworkers who played fantasy football and other fantasy sports leagues. I didn’t really understand how they worked until I finally got roped into joining an NFL fantasy football league at work years ago when I lived in another state.

I was chuckling when they told me we were having a draft night and had to meet around the conference table at work to choose our team’s players. I apparently made a major faux pas when I used my first-round pick to choose the Steelers’ defense (this was back in the early 2000s). Everyone else chose a quarterback. Somehow, I still managed to end up with Tom Brady and a few other New England Patriots on my team.

The first Sunday of the season, our “commissioner” called me asking, “What are you doing? All of your players are on the bench!” I didn’t know I had to go in each week and choose which players were going to play. Luckily, the Patriots had a Monday night game that week, so I still wound up winning my match with good old Brady and Deion Branch connecting for a couple of touchdowns.

This year, I find myself having a blast with our tiny little Indycar fantasy league. Two of our longtime friends and fellow racing fans invited my husband and I to join and there are only five of us in the league. Each week, we choose a “team” of drivers with our imaginary budget and who we think will end up in which podium spot. It’s hilarious! Joining was free and even though I’m currently in first place, the winner gets nothing, except bragging rights!

Kristin Emery can be reached at kristinemery1@yahoo.com.