SUNDAY FOOTBALL BEGINS

SUNDAY FOOTBALL BEGINS

Sunday, September 11, 2016 was a big day across America for many reasons, as it marked the 15th anniversary of the attacks of the Twin Towers, along with the season kickoff for the NFL. I was at my boyfriend's house in Buffalo for the kickoff, and the only comparison I could make regarding the level of excitement surrounding this sporting event was when Canada makes it to the Olympic finals in hockey during the Olympics. To say the least, I quickly discovered how much many Americans love football, and in particular, how much Buffalonians love Buffalo. Nevertheless, this made for a very exciting kickoff of my Genius Hour Project.

My Genius Hour project will surround the fundamentals, rules, positions and the meanings of stats in American football, and in particular the NFL. Football is a sport that I have gained more exposure to in the last year than ever before in my life, and I think it would be beneficial to start to try and understand the basics and some common knowledge surrounding the sport so that I can at least try to look like I know what I'm talking about when I am talking to other football fans.

I am going to do my best to watch all of the Buffalo Bills games this season, and follow a select handful of players on a fantasy league to gain more of an understanding on player roles and stat meanings. I think I may also try to learn and execute some fundamental concepts of football such as passing, running, and possibly some basic plays with my peers. I may also attend a Buffalo Bills game or a Hamilton Tiger Cats game to further my understanding of both the culture surrounding football, and to see the differences of rules between CFL football and NFL football.

I am going to dedicate at least one hour a week for this project, sometimes including game-watching time, sometimes for other research into positioning and rules. I am extremely excited about where this project will take me, and even more excited to be able to have knowledge and understanding of a new sport under my belt!