Football books for women seem to fall into a unique category in our culture.
Recently, although beyond the blush of youth, we went back to college to get our degrees. In a huge library full of books, there were, indeed, books about women's issues.
And rightly so.
But we found no Math Books for Women. Or Geology Books for Women. Or Chemistry Books for Women.
It seems that French and Computer Science and Anthropology and American History can all be written in such a way that they can be understood equally well by either gender.
So what's with women's books to learn about football?
If a guy had never learned about American football (say he's from another country, or maybe he was heavily involved with ballroom dancing or advanced calculus during his teen years), but now decides he wants to understand the game, would he need a book written specifically for a football-challenged male?
Or could it be that there are football books from which anyone who can read could learn the basics of the game?
And therein lies the bad news: the fact that we feel the need to explain things differently to a female adult than we would to a male adult.
Well, okay. There's the toilet seat thing. And the dishes. But we all pretty much get the rest of what life's about, don't you think?
But, you may interject, I'm pretty sure there are more women who don't understand football than there are men who don't understand football.
To which we say: you're most likely right.
And, strange though this may sound at first, therein lies the good news about football books for women.
Actually, these books are an acknowledgment that women may actually want to learn about the game of football. And perhaps even more important, they're also acknowledging the possibility that women may not have been given a fair chance to do so in the past.
That is, if a good number of women don't understand the game, it's not because, as Langston Hughes wrote about the pig in the coffeepot, "the possibilities just ain't there."
The greater likelihood is that women don't 'get it' because no one has bothered to give it.
Okay. Nobody meant any harm. It's just the way it was: a cultural thing.
Pink (and shopping at the mall) for girls. Blue (and football tryouts) for boys. Simply put, most women were never taught about football, whereas most men were.
And now that we've identified the problem, the better news is that the solution is . . . well, quite pleasant, actually. And it's beyond women's football books.
Although, of course, they're not a bad start.
But here's the thing: do you think perhaps women could learn even faster if they had a mentor? If someone took the time (hint, hint, you guys!) to explain the game? Not in 'lady-speak,' but in plain old English?
Okay. It might be that, after everyone understood the game, there would still be more men than women who enjoyed it. Then again, maybe not.
Or . . . are you guys afraid it might peep your hole card? That the 'little lady' would realize that football isn't nearly as complicated or mysterious as you may have (inadvertently, of course) implied?
Fear not. If you play your cards right, the benefits will well outweigh any possible unmasking. We mean, hey: have you considered the potential here for some pretty nifty rewards, relationship-wise?
Think about it.
Cheering together on game nights is a rather passionate activity. You know: the two of you cuddled up on the sofa. The shared excitement. The heat of the moment. Who knows where Sunday Night Football might lead?
So we're throwing down the gauntlet: what say you take a shot at finding out just how rewarding mentoring can be.
Bob Brooker and Kaye O'Dougherty want everyone to be happy. So if football season is disrupting your relationship, and the TV clicker wars are pitting Love against the NFL, they'd like to suggest some happier alternatives. Like intimacy, romance, sex and M&M's. All you have to do is look at football in a slightly different way. And Bob and Kaye are there to help you
at http://www.footballforlovers.com
No comments:
Post a Comment