Tips to surviving football season, when your S.O. (significant other) is obsessed

It's pretty understood, as well as universal, that  g i r l s   l o v e   f a l l.  Prepare now guys, for our #fallingforfall infested hashtags & other public declarations on social media about our obsession of fall. You'll see and hear plenty of talk of:

• Boots
• Pumpkin everything 
• Chunky sweaters
• Apple picking
• Hot chocolate
• Fall Festivals 
• Beautiful leaves
• Dying our hair dark 
• Cuddling 
• etc. 

I too fall victim to these obsessions; however, let us turn the tables to our male counterparts. What do men love about the Fall? It's pretty understood, as well as universal, that m e n  l o v e  f o o t b a l l. Over the next several months, you'll hear them say one or two words (because they just don't use as many words as we do) about: 

• The NFL 
• Fantasy Football

If you are like me and have an S.O. with a football obsession, it indeed requires some awareness. The purpose of this post is to help women cope with the next few months. My objective is to provide a few tips --from one football widow to another-- on how to survive.

1. Have other stuff to do

I will never forget when I went to Mark's house during he and his friends' Fantasy Football draft. They had about 10 other people on Google Hangout, and 2 of his friends were there in person. I got there when they still had about an hour left of picks, and I started making popcorn. I was quickly reprimanded and banished to making my popcorn in the laundry room. I now realize that this dungeon banishment was a preventative measure so that none of them would be distracted and possibly choose Johnny Manziel (I've learned he's generated a lot of hype, but has failed to deliver). Here are a few ideas for when you've fallen victim to man-land. 

• Pinterest
• Start a blog
• Watch a show your S.O. wouldn't want to watch on Netflix
• Try a new recipe 
• Go to the gym (better to move than sit and eat chips & dip anyway!) 
• Pick up a new hobby 
• Paint your nails (caution* guys get really intense about the smells. WOW. That is SO ironic.) 
• If you don't bake and you have no hobbies, go get a manicure or something 

2. Give your guy some cred, & help yourself, by learning the name of at least one player on each team 

I recently went to a work lunch and sat next to a colleague who was clearly obsessed with the NFL. On a side note, I have been working on my personal mastery of the names of the players. I successfully participated in a 15 minute 'intelligent' conversation! He would mention a team, and I would vaguely reference one of their players. It was just enough to keep him believing I actually knew what I was talking about. Trust me ladies, this works! Another tip--try to watch ESPN maybe 1X/week, just to keep up to speed. Be excited for him (or at least fake it) when he drafts a good receiver! Just be prepared to put your foot down when he suggests your first born child be named Payton  (Broncos QB) or Haha Clintondix (Greenbay Packers).

3. Find fellow Football Widows--you need the support 

If possible, find some of your girlfriends who also have S.O. fall football fanatics. Go hang with your g.f.'s, pick apples with them, buy cute boots together, or do a fall photo shoot at the Heehaw Farms Pumpkin Patch. Sometimes the best thing for you is to just let them obsess and be a guy. Don't fight their innate urge to feel manly (unless you're not into that, then good luck fighting that). If you're in the mood to be supportive, have your girlfriends come over with their S.O.'s. It can be great to have some support when games are going into overtime, and everyone is on edge. Your girlfriend's S.O.'s can bond with their fellow fantasy boys, and you ladies can enjoy planning your kids' weddings etc. 

4. Consult, before you say anything sports-related, out loud

If you are going to say something you think will "impress" your S.O. (trust me, we've all had those moments), I advise you to always double check. Trust me, it's not worth the embarrassment. Whether you're double checking with Siri under your breath or Googling in the bathroom, never guess. Just today, I said something along the lines of -- "Oh yeah, Reggie Bush won the Heinsman trophy." Although it was close, it was far off from the HEISMAN Trophy. This lesson of "never guessing" started, as I recently attempted to calculate my % raise in my salary. Guessing makes you look bad, and it's the same with trying to fake sports jargon, when you have no idea what you're talking about. Just do the math, check Wiki, get "Football for Dummies", do whatever you need, before you make a fool of yourself. Don't fall for getting flagged as the "idiot girlfriend who is clueless about football."

5. Learn how to work the DVR 

This comes in handy in terms of damage control. I can't even imagine if I accidentally recorded "Say Yes to the Dress" and messed up Mark's recording of the 49ers game. Yikes. If you have your guy record the games, sometimes they do highlights on heart-warming stories of the players etc. I actually really enjoy these, and they're like a hidden gem when you find them! Anyway, my point in this is to learn how to work the DVR ladies. Not only will it will earn you major "cred." as we refer to it around here, but it will also come in handy with Christmas season coming up.  Our next mission for the upcoming season is to get our men to fall for Hallmark Christmas movies!!!! (to be continued...) 

Any other tips you ladies (or gents, we appreciate your perspective too) have found to be helpful in surviving the Fall? Share below!