With Super Bowl Sunday quickly approaching, I am once again reminded that professional football is one of the final gaps between the sexes. A final frontier, of sorts, that we women must explore and conquer. I think I have begun to bridge that gap and as my knowledge of the game has quickly exceeded that of many male fans, I still must deal with the criticism of being a girl and loving a “manly” sport.

I have a copy of the official National Football League rule book and I still can’t seem to find one rule that states the game can only be enjoyed by men. And yet I still find myself being ignored at work every Monday as I try to discuss the previous Sunday’s games with my male co-workers. I am forced to sit through awful and sexist commercials during the games that showcase exploited cheerleaders and scantily clad women fighting over whether Miller Lite tastes great or is less filling. I am constantly accused of being the stereotypical female fan… loving the players’ tight uniforms more than the game itself. I always find myself having to prove my knowledge to misogynist guys before they will even consider discussing the game with me. It is not fair.

I know I am not the only female that enjoys the game of football. The NFL chairmen know this as well. It is currently estimated that 40% of the NFL fan base is made up of women. So why must we still be ostracized from the game and be reduced to nothing more than “cheerleaders?” I’m not saying there should be female players in the NFL. All I’m saying is that even though we lack certain anatomical “parts”, we still have as much of a right to enjoy the game as any man. And I’m done.