You’ve Got Questions I’ve Got Answers

By Sarah McVeigh

Being a famous sportswriter for the girls is a thankless and exhausting job. While my target audience might not always appreciate me, the unintended readers—my husband and his friends—definitely love to make fun of me. But lately, I have noticed that girls have been coming to me with their sports questions. I take great pride in the responsibility of educating the girlies so they don’t sound stupid at the next football brunch they attend. So, buckle up! Here’s a hodgepodge of answers to the most common questions that have landed on my desk.

My sister recently sent me an Instagram post of three Tennessee coaches at a game wearing red, green and blue t-shirts. They looked like Alvin and the Chipmunks! While these “signal callers” have become more common, their job is pretty straightforward. They stand on the sidelines and use hand signals to communicate plays to the team. The different colors help players quickly identify which coach to look at for the correct play call, especially with multiple coaches giving out different signals to confuse the opposing team. It looks seriously ridiculous. The amount of dancing and waving they do is comical, but it’s all part of the game.

Another question (or complaint) that I have gotten from several wives is the amount of football that has already commenced, in just two weeks! Why is the NFL now on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday? Why are there two games on a Monday night?! Well, girls, money. Football brings in money, and that’s all there is to it. There is some football freak who tunes into games every day and stays up late on weekdays. It seems like too much of a good thing to me, but I’m not that said football freak, and for your sake, I hope your husband isn’t either.

So, here’s a quick little lesson on downs. A team gets four tries to gain a first down, which is ten yards. If they gain those ten yards, they get another four tries. If they fail, the other team gets the ball.

A common question that I hear is, “Why not go for it on fourth down?” Well, if a team fails to get the first down, they lose possession of the ball right where they are on the field. This gives the opposing team a better field position, putting them closer to the end zone. Sometimes, I can understand the sentiment—if it is almost the end of the game or if they’re losing badly, what else do you have to lose? But for the most part, it’s smarter to punt the ball and keep the other team from being in a good position to score.

And finally, a question that even I can’t answer: “Why be a fan of the Jets or Giants? They are historically bad, and you’re just setting yourself up for a heartbreak for months on end.” If you have the answer, let me know.

These are just a few recent questions that have landed on my desk. If you have a sports query of your own, I am your girl. We gotta stick together this football season!