Everyone’s favorite season is upon us… not fall (although that’s happening too, if only the weather would agree), but FOOTBALL. For those of us living in Kansas City, football is basically a religion, so I am excited to be watching the Chiefs just like everyone else. But if you’re anything like me, you may be wondering: What exactly is happening this season, and what do we need to know before settling in to watch?
First, the official NFL season kicks off on September 9 with the Patriots taking on the Seahawks. But, of course, here in Kansas City, the big question is all about our Chiefs. One of the biggest storylines this season is Travis Kelce. The question on everyone’s mind seems to be; when will Travis Kelce retire, and could this be his final season? After everything he has accomplished, it’s hard to imagine the Chiefs without him, so there is definitely going to be a lot of attention on what he decides to do next.
Then there’s the very important question of where we can actually watch the games. YouTube TV or Hulu + Live TV, combined with Amazon Prime Video and Peacock, should cover the vast majority of in-market NFL games this season.
And finally, if you don’t know much about football, I encourage you to just enjoy it! That’s honestly where I was a few years ago. I didn’t understand every rule, every penalty, or why everyone was suddenly yelling at the television over what seemed like a very ordinary play If you’re new to football, you may feel like everyone around you knows something you don’t. They don’t. Well, some of them do—but plenty of people are just very confident.
Here are some things to say if you have no idea what you are talking about:
“That was a terrible penalty.”
There is almost always a penalty happening at the exact moment you need one. You don’t necessarily need to know what the penalty was. You can simply be disappointed by it.
“We need to establish the run.”
I’m not going to pretend I completely understood this phrase when I first started watching football, but it sounds extremely knowledgeable.
“That was definitely pass interference.”
Use this one when your team’s receiver gets tackled, pushed, bumped, looked at incorrectly, or otherwise fails to catch the ball. If the referee agrees, congratulations. If not, simply shake your head and say, “Of course.”
“Come on, Chiefs!”