By Gretchen Leigh

I’m not a football fan. It’s one of those things I figure can play out without me all season and I can catch the most exciting stuff at the end. However, maybe the real reason I proclaim I’m not a football fan is I really shouldn’t be one.

My husband and I attended high school football games because my oldest daughter was in the band. Since she graduated three years ago, we’ve only been to two. I don’t totally understand the game, but I know enough to get caught up in it.

I leap out of my seat, scream, yell, holler, and whoop. My husband wonders who I am, my children stay away from me. I’m basically my own cheer section. When seated, I wiggle and squirm like I’m watching a scary movie and am anticipating something jumping out, “Don’t open the door!” I’m a bundle of nerves.

That’s why I don’t watch scary movies and that’s the reason I don’t call myself a football fan. I have watched the Super Bowl the last couple years because the Seahawks were playing, and yes, I jumped up, screamed and hollered in good times and in bad.

So I had no intention of watching last Sunday’s football game for my own health. If they won or lost, I wouldn’t find out until later, which was fine because I’m not a football fan. Then for some reason the weather app on my phone popped up with “Sea 0 Car 0 – game in progress.”

My first thought was that I had a virus on my phone because I was not currently playing any games. I wasn’t even thinking about the football game since I wasn’t going to watch it. Then I tapped the notification and there it was, the game score. Just as I looked, the score changed to Sea 0 Car 7, then a few minutes later it was Sea 0 Car 14.

Though I was heading off to church soon, I figured I’d watch the game for a half hour before I left. That was a mistake. Carolina scored yet again (Sea 0 Car 21). My heart pounded and my blood pumped with anxiety for the Seahawks, willing them to score. I didn’t yell out because I didn’t want to alarm the children.

Finally, I had to turn it off, so I could calm down before I left for church. My daughter and I chose to go to the 11:30 mass instead of the night before because we knew all the football fans would be there the night before. We were right, there was only a sprinkling of people and the priest said, “We can pray they’ll do better in the second half.”

I shamelessly admit, I thought a lot about that game during church services. I should’ve left my phone at home, because my pocket was itching and I longed to sneak a peek at the score. Turns out, my phone quit updating the score anyway, which left me feeling pretty holy and self-righteous that I resisted the whole time. I wouldn’t have been rewarded. Never mind that my thoughts wandered all during mass.

Once home, I watched the rest of the game. Turns out our prayers worked and they did do better the second half. However, it was too little too late. My heart pounded and I gnashed my teeth during the last two minutes, wondering if they were going to pull off yet another miracle. Alas, it was not to be.

I am not a football fan. It is better that way.

Gretchen Leigh is a stay-at-home mom who lives in Covington. You can read more of her writing and her daily blog on her website livingwithgleigh.com, on Facebook at “Living with Gleigh.”or follow her on Twitter @livewithgleigh. Her column is available every week at maplevalleyreporter.com under the Lifestyles section.