I’m a girl, but I’m also a football lover and a fantasy football player, and that confuses people. I don’t understand why men have this strange thinking that women couldn’t possibly like football as much as they do, and an even stronger thought that women couldn’t, or rather shouldn’t, beat them at such games as fantasy football.

I know the girls that ruin it for all of us. They are the ones who really do know nothing about football, yet try to act like they do by wearing cutesy pink jerseys and trying to say one accurate thing per game that they picked up off of ESPN while flicking through channels one night.

I also can’t stand the girls who all of a sudden are die-hard (insert team name here) just because their boyfriend/husband/whomever likes the team. Come on! Stand on your OWN two feet.

We live in Pittsburgh, so OBVIOUSLY, I am a Steeler fan for life. My husband, also a Pittsburgh native, has taken the road less traveled, and he roots for the Oakland Raiders. It’s a constant battle in our house on Sundays. We have Sunday Ticket on Direct TV so we get every game imaginable and we are always fighting over which one to watch. Since we are also competing in the same fantasy league, every time our players’ points pop up on the TV, taunting and ****talking ensues.

Even if I’m “Charlie Sheen: winning,” my husband finds a way to bring me down, by either dangling his three former trophies in front of me, or reminding me that five of my players are on a bye week in Week 10.

I’ll give one thing to the guys in our league, they do their homework! Our draft looks more like a late-night study session for the bar than a friendly get together. Everyone has their draft guides, usually rolled up and tattered from the constant flipping of pages, highlighters litter the floor, along with printouts of Top 100 projections, extra pens, and legal pads full of notes. Everyone nervously chews on their pen or taps their feet as they wait for their pick. I love the sound of NOOOO when the person before you takes your pick and your mind goes blank, or the sound of WHAT??? when someone drafts a player way too early or snags one up you forgot about.

I know one thing, this year is my year. I know I’ve said that the past two years, as well, but I’m confident and ready. I’m no longer a rookie and I’m definitely not drafting any either!!

Our league is getting together this weekend to pull our order and I’m looking forward to the start of another great season. Even if they do make fun of me all year, it’s worth it. Watch out guys, Lance Moore is going to kill it! 😉 (inside joke)