Happy First Sunday everyone! What is First Sunday you ask? Well, I’m here to help. First Sunday is the first full day of football. The REAL NFL kickoff. Not that Thursday night nonsense.
First Sunday is second only to Super Bowl Sunday in terms of “hype” but it is WAY more significant to the average lover of the game. First Sunday is optimism. It is excitement. It’s the last day my husband will have true football joy instead of fantasy football stress. First Sunday isn’t JUST football. It’s tradition.
(*note: If my mom is reading this she just sang “Tradition” from the Fiddler on the Roof. I’ll put my husband’s fantasy draft winnings on it.)
Like most traditions we follow in our house, the day does involve a few rituals.
1. Put on your home team gear.
For God’s sake man! If you don’t wear the shirt it is your fault if your team loses.
And straight up. If you have coozies, and coasters, and pants, and hats, with your team on them you BETTER bring them out.
And if your home team ain’t the home team where you live-be prepared for some smack talk. Luckily, we’re Bears fans so we are ready to give and take grief wherever we go. We give and take at the grocery store, the gas station, church. Yes. I said church. Y’all! THERE IS SMACK TALK ABOUT FOOTBALL AT CHURCH! The greeters talk a little smack. The lady who hands you the lesson and prayer cards talks a little smack. The guy in front of you who turns to shake your hand before the sermon starts talks smack. WE talk smack! A lot of smack talk happening at church. I love it. Which also leads to ritual #2.
2. Pray! Pray! Pray!
Pray in a Varsity Blues “we love football and our quarterback” fashion. This is not a drill.
I know there are so many people and things and causes out there that need our prayers. But God is good. He hears ALL prayers. And these are rituals. They are nothing without prayer.
So Lord. Please give us a good season, and great first game on First Sunday. I don’t know if you know this because you are VERY busy with real world stuff but…we’re playing the Packers. We could REALLY use your support.
3. The FOOD.
Is there any good tradition that doesn’t include food? No. No there isn’t. So I make plenty of food on First Sunday but none of it is an actual meal. It’s more about grazing. My husband has a strict “shrimp for ever holiday” policy so that is a given but there is also cheese and guacamole and chips and chili cheese dip, mini dogs, cheese trays and some crudités for those of us watching our figure. There’s enough grazing that if anyone even looks at me and asks “What’s for dinner?” It better be Tuesday.
4. Ensure everyone remembers the rules.
We keep them intentionally simple and short, and even though our son is not that into football, he’s sort of into smack talk, and definitely into praying so he endulges us. Like the good Bears fans we are, we train our future generations to ride or die with the team. No matter where we live and how old he gets, there is only one right answer to these questions.
All right answers
So there it is. There are no million dollar ad spots. No extra day off work. There is no cake, or presents. Just the same hopeful anticipation that this year will be better than the last and also the best one ever. Tradition.
Good luck to you and your teams. May your confidence pools be strong and your fantasy players stay healthy!
From us to you-Happy First Sunday! And Go Bears!
