We love Beckham…uh, soccer, we mean soccer.

Confession #1—love makes girls do crazy, crazy things.

Picture this—you’re on a first date and so far you have managed to follow all the tips Google has graciously searched for you. Plus, you’ve even managed not to snort a laugh, choke on your lemon chicken, or admit that you have already envisioned what your children will look like. Sounds picture perfect, right? That is until the conversation takes a turn for the worst into (cue dramatic sound effect) Dun Dun Dunnn… sports. Instantly, you feel the nervous sweat bead on your forehead, your mind curses Google for not warning you about the oh, so obvious topic. But who knows, perhaps Google thought your date was a tree-hugging hippie, who wanted to talk about inner feelings before skipping dessert to summon a moonlight dance under the sky. It may not sound realistic, but you get the picture.

It’s quite obvious to say that we now live in a world where sports are becoming increasing popular to discuss, especially around guys—giving you three choices: stuff your mouth with food to avoid talking, fake a dramatic faint, or tell a lie. So, what do you do? Well, you lie—ding ding ding! We have a winner, or in this case, a cheater.

Confession #2—Girls are amazing multi-taskers, we can check out the score and the quarterback all at the same time.

All around us, we’re receiving different advice about how to act around guys. Even the top woman’s magazines—Cosmopolitan, Glamour, or Seventeen recommend changing yourself so that some handsome prince will come sweep you off your feet and bring you to Disney World. Too bad this is reality—not the movies. But some of these tips revolve around changing your whole sports persona. For example, if you flip to the 'All About Guys' section in magazines, you will see most of the tips revolve around having a sports night with your guy. Even in high schools today, some girls will make T-shirts for their crush before heading off to the game to cheer. But is it for the love of the game, or just the hype? The real question is: do girls love sports for the game or to score the guy? 

Think carefully, but whether you pretend to like sports to impress a guy or you’re just joining his friends for a night at the bar—when it comes to sports and guys here’s what not to do:

1) Pretending you know what the heck is going on.
2) Cheering just because everyone else is—while really, you’re beyond lost.
3) Bringing up how hot the quarterback is… every five seconds.
4) Telling him about your shopping trip while he’s watching the game and getting mad when he pretends to listen.
5) Chugging down a pint of beer because of all the extra spicy wings you ate.
6) Saying you have a favorite player, when really, you only like him for his sexy looks.
7) Wearing a jersey just because it looks “cute.”
8) Swearing at the referee during every call.
9) Making his team your favorite, no matter how much they suck.
10) Making him skip the big game because your best friend and her boyfriend just broke up, and you need him there for “moral support and guy advice.”
11) Walking in front of the TV during the game.

So next time you’re talking to a guy about sports, don’t stuff your mouth full of food, fake a faint, or even lie. Instead, admit to him and yourself that you’re most definitely a 'not it' sports girl and damn well proud of it.

By Sarah Kester | Photo: tumblr.com