A new season

new season

Remember when I said I’d be back in March for Combine + Draft coverage?

What I actually meant was April.

And what I actually actually meant was April… 2015. Or beyond.

Let me tell you a story.

I started a new job and moved during the playoffs with every intention to keep Football for Normal Girls rolling into the offseason and then seamlessly into the 2014 Regular Season. I had kept the blog up and running while working full-time before, so I figured I’d just do it again. No problem.

But here’s the thing: I will be in Africa during the Draft this year. A span of days that are usually spent in front of multiple Twitter feeds and TV screens will instead be spent documenting stories of healing in Zambia and Malawi. And I think that turn of events represents a sincere directional shift.

Instead of watching film on NFL Rewind this offseason, I’m watching…films. I’m trying to get better at a craft (photography + videography) instead of teaching a different craft. It’s not that what I am doing now matters more than what I was doing before. As a follower of Jesus, I hold tightly to the belief that God is sovereign; He puts purpose into all things. So it’s not that football is frivolous and healing is serious; it’s that it feels like He is giving me something different to steward in this season of life. And I can’t be fully committed there if I’m also fully committed here.

I’m not closing up shop here at Football for Normal Girls permanently, but I am going to be taking a step back this season. I have no idea what that looks like, but I know for sure it does not look like Regularly Scheduled Programming.

I’m still a crazy passionate fan. I still love football as much as ever. This is just a friendly little PSA to let you all know that this regular season will be irregular, and I hope you’ll stick around for the (long-term, unclear, twisty-and-turny) ride.

If you’d like to check out the work I’m excited to be doing full-time for CURE, check out these videos. You can also find me blogging on a personal level at bekawatts.com

Thanks for being so awesome.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting…A Football Blog

football, news, 2013

It has been a GREAT 2013 season here at Football for Normal Girls! Thank you all so much for being along for the ride!

What’s next? It will be all quiet on the home front for the immediate future, but you can expect the blog to be up and running again once the Combine begins in March! A full offseason schedule will be announced, sure to keep you plugged into all things NFL and ready to rock the 2014 season.

See you all soon!

Review and Preview : Week 16

football, news, week 16

We’re having a bit of an adjusted review and preview this week since we have important matters to discuss: the playoffs. The playoffs are upon us!!!

It’s so bittersweet.

There are teams that are definitely out, teams that are definitely in, and teams that have to jump through 150 hoops but still have a chance to get in. Let’s chat.

Teams that are OUT

AFC

Jets, Titans, Bills, Raiders, Jaguars, Browns, Texans

NFC

Lions, Rams, Giants, Vikings, Falcons, Bucs, Redskins

Teams that are IN

AFC

Broncos, Patriots, Bengals, Colts, Chiefs

NFC

Seahawks, Panthers, 49ers

So you’re sayin’ there’s a chance

AFC

Dolphins, Ravens, Chargers, Steelers

NFC

Eagles, Bears, Saints, Cardinals, Cowboys, Packers

It’s a “win and they’re in” situation for two of the NFC games – Cowboys vs. Eagles and Bears vs. Packers. For everyone else, the playoffs are a tangled web we weave. There are multiple scenarios in which the remaining on-the-fence teams could be in or out. I would spell them all out, but it turns my brain into spaghetti. So I’ll leave it to the pros: the NFL has the full list playoff scenarios that could result from this weekend’s outcomes.

One thing is for sure: it’s going to be a great weekend of football.

Enjoy, everyone!

Review and Preview : Week 15

football, news, week 15

Review

Monday: We reviewed my favorite week (almost) ever, Week 15.

Tuesday: Why a team has their “own” side of the field, and how to tell which side it is.

Wednesday: We learned what all of that waving during kickoff is all about.

Thursday: Postseason Prep, Part II! How the Playoffs Work.

Preview

Normal Girl Game of the Week

Patriots at Ravens, 4:25pm on CBS

The repeat of last year’s AFC Championship game may not have the same implications as it did a year ago, but it’s still going to be a pretty important game. The Ravens have somehow launched themselves into playoff contention, and the Patriots are still in the hunt for a first round bye. It should be a wild day in Baltimore!

Also on the Radar:

1. Once the Chiefs slipped, the Broncos all but locked up their top seed and first round bye in the AFC. Now, that spot is on precariously thin ice. The Broncos need to beat the Texans (which, let’s face it, should not be all that much of a challenge) to keep charging toward a week off in Round 1.

2. Cowboys at Redskins might seem like an easy win, but the Boys in Blue lost a heartbreaker last week (for them; for me, it was awesome) and are fighting for their lives in the NFC East. They can still realistically win the division, but they’ll need the Eagles to lose either this week (against the Bears) or next week (appropriately, against the Cowboys).

3. The Return of Rodgers?! Maybe. We should find out today. Miraculously, thanks to a LOT of help from the other teams in the NFC North (and a few in the NFC East, too), the Packers control their playoff destiny…at 7-6-1. Win and they’re in. Crazy. With games against the Steelers and the Bears rounding out the season it’s more than possible…especially if Rodgers is at the helm. However, much to the long-term benefit of himself and Packers fans everywhere, team doctor Pat McKenzie is notoriously cautious when it comes to player injuries. He won’t give the ok until Rodgers is 100% ready to be back on a football field.

Review and Preview : Week 14

football, news, week 14

Review

Monday: Are you a normal girl who is also a football fan? We want YOU! Join our offseason feature.

Tuesday: We learned a new party trick: how to quickly tell which end zone belongs to which team.

Wednesday: Read only if wrapping your mind around a new definition of backward won’t give you a brain cramp.

Thursday: It’s the most wonderful time of the year…to get ready for the postseason! Part One: How the Postseason Works.

Preview

I’m just going to level with you all. For this late in the season…there isn’t a wealth of spectacular games to choose from this weekend. However, there are  few things to keep an eye on.

Normal Girl Game of the Week

Packers at Cowboys, 4:25pm EST on FOX

America’s worst defense matches up against America’s worst able-to-recover-from-losing-their-starting-quarterback in America’s Game of the Week on FOX. All the same, the Cowboys and the Packers playoff hopes are both (precariously) on the line. It’s like the 1960s all over again…but far, far worse.

Also on the Radar:

1. Houston at Indy is a good game disguised as a terrible game – a 2-11 Texans team up against the division leading 8-5 Colts. Those records don’t take into account that the Colts have been struggling like all get out over the past few weeks, and the Texans nearly stole a game from the Patriots a few weeks ago. So that should be a telling AFC South matchup.

2. Also watch-worthy: Jay Cutler’s return to the Bears against a not-as-bad-as-they-seem Browns team – another “bad” team that almost stole a game from the Patriots.

3. Speaking of the Patriots, this could be the week in which they actually lose the games they seem destined to lose, as has been the case for most of the past month. The Dolphins are still very much in the middle of the AFC scrum for the last wildcard spot and one would think that their play will probably reflect that motivation. However, one should also think that the Patriots are the Patriots…and will probably win by 50 just because everyone thinks that they won’t.