So, we know this isn't really a sports article per se, but we wanted to relay to everyone just why we watch and love football. And since football is a sport, we suppose this is a sports article after all.

So, here goes.

We love football. We watch football. We are obsessed with football. We don't just watch for the tight pants and the athletic bodies, though those are much appreciated additions to an already wonderful game. We watch because football is quite possibly the best sport ever played. We are not dumb; we are not pretending to pay attention because we think all of our guy friends will think we're cool or cute or anything. We actually know what a first down is and what it takes to get one and why getting one is good. We also know what a safety is (both the safety that is worth two points and the strong and free safeties that are integral parts of a defense); we know what a blitz is; we know what illegal motion is; we know what the line of scrimmage is and that that yellow line isn't actually on the field. We're pretty sure we could name all he Super Bowl Champions of the past decade or so and collectively we could tell you when Brett Favre's birthday is (and his high school jersey number, what round he was drafted in, how many inches of his intestine he had removed after a car accident the his junior year of college at Southern Mississippi. etc.), that Robert Smith retired from the Vikings two years ago to pursue a career in pediatrics (how adorable is that? And that he was born on March 4, 1972 in Elichd, Ohio.) and that Jerry Rice's wife and three children all have names that start with "J" (SO cute!).

Now you know why we're qualified to write about football. We know a lot about the game, but that has only come from watching the National Football League season in and season out for most of our lives. We all like different teams, though some of our teams are doing better this season than others. But through all the ups and downs that come with any season, we've remained loyal to our teams.

Emily is from Wisconsin and has consequently been spoon-fed Packer everything for years. She fell in love with the Pack with the dawning of the era of Favre and has watched nearly every game since—through the first three 9–7 Holmgren years and the consecutive Super Bowls in 1996 and 1997 (she has blanked out most of the '97 loss to the Denver Broncos—ask her the score, she won't know. But she can tell you that the Pack beat the Patriots 35–21 in 1996 and that return man Desmond Howard was the MVP. Go figure). She suffered through the short reign of Ray Rhodes when the Pack went 8–8 and rejoiced when general manager Ron Wolf brought in Mike Sherman in 2000. The Packers are now 8–1 and Brett Favre is looking pretty hot—even at 33.

Bry is from Minnesota, so of course, she has Purple Pride. The Vikings aren't looking so hot this year but she believes that if Bouman gets more time on the field, he will lead her team to the big game. Although not a weathered fan, having only possessed Purple Pride for a few years now, she is as die-hard as they come, defending the Vikes at every turn, despite the Randy Moss debacles, choking at almost every play-off game (she still maintains that the Giants cheated in the 2000 play-offs) and having possibly one of the most under-qualified head coaches in the NFL. But every Sunday she dons her faithful jersey (gotta love #81), braids her hair, and spends the afternoon getting drunk.

Danielle is from California and seems to having a liking for the 49ers, which probably has something to do with ex-Niner Steve Young's athletic ability and hotness. In fact, it's easy for her to romanticize about the 49ers' past—which includes five Super Bowl victories and the unparalleled reign of quarterback Joe Montana (particularly during the six seasons from 1985-1990 when he threw to wide receiver Jerry Rice)—but there is also plenty to say about the 49ers' present. Their offense is strong and their defense, which a few seasons ago was frighteningly young, has matured sufficiently to place the 49ers first in the NFC West. Danielle's biggest complaint, of course, is the fact that 49ers games are not always broadcast all the way out here; so she spends many of her Sundays in front of her computer, glued to some self-refreshing football website, dreaming of the foggy Bay Area and drinking a Corona.