Football season is back!

...Which means that all the bros at the office are going to start each meeting and phone call recapping games.

When I first started out in Corporate America, I tried several tactics to deal with football talk. I would: (1) roll my eyes and ignore the discussion (2) try to change the subject, or (3) try to participate by asking random questions (who’s GOAT?). I was frustrated every time “the boys” talked about it.

One tactic I stubbornly refused to try until recently was to actually learn the game, enjoy it and participate with genuine interest! Of course, this tactic worked. While I wasn’t and don’t want to be one of “the boys,” I felt excited when I knew details of an exciting game and could engage in the few minutes of small talk before meetings that revolved around football.

So here’s some ways to get involved and ditch the *ugh* moments and eye rolling during football season:

Pick a team to support

My boyfriend is from New Hampshire and my former boss is from Massachusetts. This meant that I (had to) support New England Patriots - not too bad when they’re a 5-time championship winning team with star quarterback (and Gisele Bunchen’s husband) Tom Brady! I even started cracking football jokes with my boss and asking how the games were which made our bond stronger.

Find a fun resource for highlights

I am definitely a Pats fan now (any excuse to have wings on Sunday and swear like a sailor!) but still don’t really want to watch all the games to be in the know. So what do I do? I turn to Monday Morning Football, the SparkNotes for the NFL. Last week, we featured Kelly, a trailblazher that shared us with her story of she went from hiding her passion for football to turning it into a side gig (go Kelly!). She co-founded the weekly newsletter with her boyfriend with the mission of creating entertaining, 3-minute highlights that even football newbies like myself can understand. Monday Morning Football is super short and witty. It’s only once a week which makes it an even easier read. When it says “talk the talk without needing to watch to watch,” they mean it! I get relevant updates on how other teams are faring and am not just focused on the Pats. Subscribe to Monday Morning Football here!

Join a fantasy football league

This takes your #footballszn involvement to the next level. If it’s intimidating to join the hardcore football bros group at work, start a league with your own circle of friends! You’ll have zero clue who to pick at first but once you start asking questions, following the games, doing a little side Googling, you’ll get into it more than you think!