When you marry a football fan ...

... you become a football fan, whether or not you realize it's happening.

As we endure baseball season and anticipate the beginning of football season, it's only right that we reminisce about chip dip smorgasbords and yelling at the television.

This is my baby football helmet
 that a good friend and co-worker gave me.
It keeps me company at work to remind
 me what's really important in life. (That's a joke
 for those of you who are unfamiliar with
my sense of humor.)

I admit, I whined about Dalton's football fanaticism for about a year. You want me to sit on this couch for how long? Can't I just watch the end? Then I surrendered. I memorized all the team mascots. I knew who the quarterbacks were on the "good" teams.  I watched every YouTube video about Colin Kaepernick. But I was so torn! I liked cheering on my former Aggies that were killing it on the Seahawks. But, oh well.

Lucky for me, Dalton's favorite team (the Niners) fit me well. If I was going to cheer on any team, it may as well be the team closest to the city where I grew up with a quarterback that played for UNR. And no, the Oakland Raiders were never an option. Just for a little background, Dalton's '49er fanaticism started at birth. It's deeply rooted in who he is. Seriously. He was born on Super Bowl Sunday in 1990 as the Niners were beating the Broncos. Actually, "beating" isn't the right word. "Wiping the floor with" is probably more accurate.

Some might describe this as fate. And I think a few things were rewired as he was coming into the world during this victory. His emotions are somehow attached to that team. The players are the strings and he is the marionette. When one of the players gets arrested, he doesn't want to talk about it. When they lose a game, you don't talk to him about it. When they win a game, a permanent smile is fixed on his face until they lose again. There is an awesome photo of Dalton at age 6 standing proudly in front of the fire place all suited up in a miniature Niner uniform.

I didn't understand how it was possible that an individual could connect so deeply to a few dozen freakishly meaty men they have never met who tackle each other for a living. Boy, was I naïve.

This is the first year that I have genuinely missed watching football. I miss that anxious feeling when there are a few minutes left in the game and it's tied up. I miss having a reason to wear my '49ers T-shirt every week. I miss getting into arguments with people about why Colin is the man.

Anyway, I realized one day that I can wholeheartedly embrace football, or forever battle Dalton for the TV remote--a battle I will never win.