By LISA BROWN
October 17, 2006

In my household, we celebrate two seasons: football season . . . and everything else. Whether you are in the stands cheering with your closest 60,000 friends or in front of the television, there is something about football season that feels like home.

I grew up in a family of Green Bay Packer fans (yes, I own a cheesehead). Almost every person in that state of Wisconsin is HARDCORE about their team. In the words of my mother, “it’s because there is nothing else to do in the winter.” That explains a lot.

What I have noticed over the years is the dedication of fans. You have those “fair-weather” fans who root for their team when the season is going well and leave the stands when they begin losing. Then you have that group of people who would walk through sleet, hail, and snow just to see the game. These fans keep the Vince Lombardi-inspired spirit of the game alive.

Most fans can agree with me when I say that your team eventually becomes a part of your family. Players may come and go from your team but you adopt them as if they were your own. Even if you have four Jakes in your family, everyone still knows that you’re talking about Jake Delhomme when his first name is mentioned. You also schedule your day around the time of the game. A fun factoid I found was that in some Wisconsin churches the priests will change mass times so that they won’t miss the Packer game. No joke -- football really is the way of life.

Although I am not a New Orleans Saints fan, I couldn’t help but cheer for them earlier this season in their game that reopened of the Superdome. This was exactly the pick-me-up the people of New Orleans needed. Their endurance has led the team to hope for their first Super Bowl victory.

It is this type of dedication that is needed by every team, whether collegiate or national. The players may be the ones who make the team, but it is the fans who truly make the game what it is. With the love and support of these fans any team can overcome the odds.