On the way home from visiting my parents last night, I tuned in to 98.5, The Sports Hub, to hear the latest on the NBA Championship, LeBron and more.  Admittedly, I'm not an avid listener, but I do tune in from time-to-time. So, imagine my surprise when I tuned in to the D.A. Show, expecting a Phil Jackson rant and instead heard (or thought I heard), "If she doesn't listen to the show, don't put a ring on her finger." 

This led me to think about sports and relationships and formulate the basis for this story.

UPDATE: Commentor Cori says that this was in relationship to a text message DA received from a fan about dropping lines from the show in front of his girlfriend.  DA said that if she got the lines, he should marry her. He never said - don't put a ring on her finger.

Of course, as a breakup expert, I was intrigued and couldn't help but listen further. I can't quote the show directly, as I do not have a transcript, however, the host, D.A., said something like,  "Try dropping some of our show's catch-phrases (in an appropriate manner) and see if she catches on. If she does, she's a keeper, go buy the ring."

I thought that was thought-provoking social commentary. Women do listen to sports radio. Women do watch sports. Wouldn't it be cool if she knew exactly what he was talking about?  And why wouldn't she?

It was expected, not too many decades ago, that all women have zero sports acumen, absolutely no interest in stats and little desire to sit in front of the TV all day on a Sunday to watch men in tight pants throw around the pig skin. And if she did, then she probably wasn't straight. But now that it is acceptable for women to like sports and remain feminine, it makes sense that men would look for that in a mate.  

And why not? Logic dictates that if your wife's a fan, a real fan, then your marriage won't get stale. There will always be something to talk about and enjoy together for years to come. It's always new. It's always exciting. It's sports!

And guess what? I agree. But probably only because I'm a sports fan and I do the same thing (in reverse). I measure men by their sports acumen. If you don't believe me, here's a quick (true) story:

A few months ago, I attended all the NCAA Tournament games in Rhode Island at the Dunkin Donuts Center. I drove there, sat in my center court tickets, a few rows from the floor, completed bracket(s) in hand, Michigan State tee shirt on my back and I thoroughly enjoyed over 12 hours of basketball. Some people think that's probably a bit extreme, but I don't mess around when it comes to NCAA hoops.

So, when I went out that night and met a devastatingly handsome young man, I naturally asked him, "Who did you pick to win your bracket?"  He responded with,  "What's a bracket?"

With that, I quickly turned on my heel and walked away. It would never work. He had emasculated himself with 3 little words. I'm sure he was probably a great guy. Just not for me.

But that's an example of me looking for commonalities between myself and the man I date. It's fun, for me, to take someone to a sporting event when I know they appreciate it. And, likewise, dating someone with a sports acumen can also be delightful when it doesn't work out! Especially if you're not fans of the same team. Here's another quick (true) story:

Previous to the NCAA tournament, I briefly dated a man who was a huge Syracuse fan. We broke up shortly before the tourney began. Syracuse was a #1 seed and should have easily skated through, but still, I would watch the Syracuse games and hope and pray that this well-rounded, very deep, very young team would fail. And they did. It was like I got a 2 for 1 when they lost: one because my team (MSU) wouldn't have to play Syracuse in the Final Four and two, because that guy I briefly dated liked that team and he hurt my feelings!  I reveled in the fact that I knew he was feeling sad, wherever he was.

Win or lose, a mutual love of sports just adds another dimension to a relationship. 

I believe that a common love for sports can help a relationship (says the single woman). I think it's only natural that a huge sports fan would seek the same, and in a town like Boston, if you can't find a woman who likes the Red Sox or The Patriots, then you can't be looking that hard. So men AND women, take a tip from D.A., a man who makes his living off a love of sports - if you're a huge fan of something (in this case, a fan of his show!), then it would be great to be with someone with that same passion. 

And from me: If you hate sports, then try to find someone who also hates sports - this way, instead of freezing your ass off under a huge blanket in Foxboro this Fall, perhaps you'll both enjoy taking a pottery class together?

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