Last week in my English class, we read the poem “How I fell out of love with the internet” written by Avery Erwin. After, we were challenged by our teacher to write our own how I fell in/out of love with (the topic of our choice). I wrote my own poem in the same style that Avery wrote his, and decided to share it for my blog post! This is…
How I fell in love with Football
- Discover the Xbox 360
Your best friend bought an Xbox 360 gaming console. Go to his house. Play on it with him. Enjoy it. He buys Madden 08. Play it. Enjoy it. Test out playing with different teams. The local Giants. The local Jets. The popular Patriots. The lousy Texans. The Chargers? Who are the San Diego Chargers with a 95 team rating? Play with them. Enjoy beating your friend with them. Learn the players’ names. Antonio Gates. LaDainian Tomlinson. Darren Sproles. Phillip Rivers. Vincent Jackson.
- Research your favorite team.
The San Diego Chargers? Google them. YouTube them. Watch Antonio Gates catch a pass one-handed from Phillip Rivers. Watch Vincent Jackson burn defenders. Watch LaDainian Tomlinson weave in and out of defenders and run the field for a touchdown. Fall in love with the players. Fall in love with the San Diego Chargers.
- Watch them.
But don’t. The San Diego Chargers play on the West Coast; those games do not air on your television. Watch the hometown team play instead. Hear about bootleg streaming websites online where you could finally watch the Chargers play. Watch all of the games; learn all of the new players’ names, the coaches’ names, the plays, the formations. Yell at the T.V. in frustration when Phillip throws a ball over a receivers head. Yell at the T.V. in excitement when he throws a touchdown.
- Stick with them.
Watch your beloved Madden 08 chargers squad start to fall apart. LaDainian Tomlinson retired. Vincent Jackson became a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. Antonio Gates and Phillip Rivers are nearing the end of their career. The San Diego Chargers move to Los Angeles. Yet, you are still part of Bolt Nation. You are now in love with the franchise, not just the players. You are now a fan of the Los Angeles Chargers. Watch the new era of the Bolts begin. Allen. Gordon. Hayward. Henry. Bosa. Ingram. Beloved Veterans Gates and Rivers. Google them. Youtube them. Fall in love with them.
- Support them with a passion.
Represent the LA Chargers as perhaps the only fan on the East Coast. Buy a Melvin Gordon jersey. Buy a Chargers License plate. Buy a Keenan Allen poster and hang it above your bed. Buy a Chargers key chain. Buy obnoxious Chargers embassy flags to attach to the hood of your car on game days. Go to MetLife stadium with friends who are Giants fans to watch the NFL draft, wear the powder blue and yellow Gordon jersey even amongst the sea of dark blue.
- Learn more about the NFL, not just the Chargers.
Learn 10 years into your Bolt Nation career that there is more to football than Bolt Nation. Join a fantasy football league with your friends. Research all of the players in the NFL league now, not just your Chargers. Learn all the teams’ names, all the coaches, all of the players. Draft your fantasy team, trade players, sign players. Fall in love with Jarvis Landry, then Delanie Walker, then Michael Thomas as they clutch up your fantasy season. Buy a Dolphins Jarvis jersey. Buy a Saints Thomas jersey. Fall in love with fantasy football; fall in love with the NFL. Still, love the Chargers.
- Fall in love with Football.
You love Madden videogames. You love the Chargers. The old players, the new. San Diego, Los Angeles. You love fantasy football. It taught you all of the league’s players. Their names and skills. You watch all games now, not just the Chargers. You know all the team names, coaches, and front offices. You realize you do not just love the Chargers, video games, or fantasy football. You love the sport. You love football.
Jake from Statefarm 