Do you want to increase the fire that burns between you and your loved one? Do you want to do it without sacrificing the desire to watch the NFL Divisional Playoff games and Monday’s College Football National Championship game? This is your step-by-step guide to doing both.
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In the book “The Five Love Languages,” author Gary Chapman outlines five ways to express and experience love though five love languages.
We must begin here, dear reader, because to get to Monday night and the college football championship game, we must first find out what language your significant other responds to the most.
Chapman contends that everyone receives love through their own special language: Gifts, Quality of Time, Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch.
Much like athletes must prepare mentally as well as physically for the big game, you will also have to do some pre game scouting.
Think about when you made your significant other the happiest. Was it when you bought her an expensive gift? Was it when you both turned off your phones and just walked around the park? Maybe she responds best to when you tell her how you feel and express gratitude? Is it when you clean up the house when it’s not asked of you, or when you cook breakfast in bed for no particular reason? Of course, there’s always the fire that happens in the bedroom, is that what does it for your significant other?
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Once you find out your significant other’s love language we can move on to the next step: Dinner tonight.
Now I know I’m not giving you much heads up, but as the United Kingdom’s Daily Mail recently found, lack of spontaneity is the number one relationship gripe. A study of 3,000 couples also showed a lack of sex, affection and romance makes it hard to maintain a loving relationship.
If you need a babysitter, find one. If your significant other doesn’t like to go out, make dinner at home.
The important thing is to make sure your significant other feels special. Remember, you now know what makes her love bucket full. Use that to start earning points, because in about 5 seconds your bucket is going to spring a leak.
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Honesty is the key to any relationship and it’s no different in yours.
You need to be upfront with your significant other in your desire to watch the upcoming 5-game slate. If you cover it up, your significant other will feel like you’re deceiving them, if you lie, you’re opening up a bag of chips, you won’t want to eat.
Research from the University of Notre Dame also shows that when people managed to reduce their lies in given weeks across a 10-week study, they reported significantly improved physical and mental health in those same weeks.
So think of it as a service for yourself and your significant other.
Now that your love bucket has sprung a leak, it’s important you continue to fill it up. Move past the minor hiccup and enjoy the rest of your evening. This is not about rediscovering your relationship as it is reestablishing it.
Make Friday night a success, but your work as a thoughtful significant other doesn’t stop there.
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Saturday morning, the pressure is on.
Your significant other now knows your desire to watch the game that starts at 4:35 ET. You did the hard part last night. You now have more than half the day to make things as easy as possible.
Make or get her favorite coffee. If you have kids, take the burden off of your significant other. Feed them, dress them do all you can to make things light, easy and fun. If you don’t have kids, how does brunch sound? Plan a family fun day or a couple’s day. Continue to use your significant other’s love language to fill that bucket up. It’s also important to feed off of what your significant other is telling you, don’t just do what you think she wants to do, do what she’s telling (verbally or non) you what to do.
As it gets closer to kick off and you’re planning on leaving the house, see if your significant other wants to come with you. If not, fine, but ask if there’s anything else your significant other needs. It’s important that you make sure you have met as many needs as possible before you abandon her for part 1 of a 5-part mini-series of awesomeness. If you plan on staying in and keeping your chair warm for three days, make sure during commercial breaks and half time you continue to stay plugged in to your significant other as much as you are to the amazing game you are experiencing.
Breaks between games are also an opportunity to continue to keep that love bucket full. Remember what actor Chad Michael Murray once said, “Our biggest regrets are not for the things we have done but the things we haven’t done.”
On Sunday and Monday, rinse and repeat. The thing to remember is as you rack up the days, the sledding is going to get tougher. Do not lose your resolve. Remember, watching five football games in three days is God’s work.
Continue to fill that love bucket.
Side note: If you significant other decides to join you either out or at home to watch any game, keep them involved. If they don’t watch football regularly, combine sports facts with pop facts liberally.
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Game 1, Saturday, NBC 4:35 ET – Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots
The last time these two met in the playoffs was the AFC Championship game in 2010. The Ravens upset the Patriots and met in the one and only Harbaugh Bowl. When President Obama was talking about “The Interview” hacking scandal, he called James Franco, James Flacco. Joe Flacco is the quarterback for the Ravens. Ray Rice used to play for the Ravens, but they cut him after the second video came out of him hitting his wife.
Tom Brady is the quarterback for the Patriots, he has led New England to three Super Bowl titles in four years, but it’s been over 10 years since their last win. Brady has a child with Bridget Moynahan. She played Natasha Mr. Big’s first wife in Sex in the City. The Patriots are the best team in the NFL right now, but many think the Ravens might pull off the upset again.
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Game 2, Saturday, FOX 8:15 ET – Carolina Panthers vs. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are the defending champions and are looking to repeat for the first time since the Patriots did it in 2004. Carolina finished the year with a losing record but made the playoffs by winning their division. Carolina and Seattle played earlier this year with the Seahawks winning 13-9.
Seattle’s Running Back is Marshawn Lynch; he eats skittles after scoring a touchdown so sometimes you’ll see skittles falling from the sky after a touchdown.
Cam Newton is the quarterback for the Panthers; his nickname is Superman. When he scores a touchdown he pretends to rip open his shirt to expose the Superman S.
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Game 3, Sunday, FOX 1:05 ET – Dallas Cowboys vs. Green Bay Packers
Luckily for both teams, the weather won’t be a repeat of the Ice Bowl. 21 and partly cloudy is practically a heat wave for this time of year.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a slight tear in his calf muscle but will play. Rodgers is currently dating actress Olivia Munn, Sloan Sabbith from HBO’s The Newsroom. He’s also the discount double check guy.
Dallas’ QB has had his share of starlet girlfriends, most notoriously, Jessica Simpson. The guys on the field will be overshadowed by who is in Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones’ box. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has been at Jones’ side the last two games; Jones in turn has said Christie will make a great president. If Christie runs, he may get the Texas votes, but he can forget about Virginia, DC, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania or any other district with vile towards the Cowboys.
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Game 4, Sunday, CBS 4:40 ET – Indianapolis Colts vs. Denver Broncos
This game might as well be labeled the past vs. the present, as two of the preeminent names in the NFL square off in Colts QB Andrew Luck and Broncos signal caller Peyton Manning.
Manning and the Broncos will be looking to redeem their last postseason appearance, a blowout loss to the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, while Luck and the Colts will be looking to take that next step in replacing Manning and moving the Colts forward.
Did you know, Luck is scared of smart phones and still carries his college flip phone? As for Peyton, this is by far my favorite:
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Game 5, Monday, ESPN 8:30 ET – Ohio State University vs. University of Oregon
Ohio State is looking for its first national title since 2002. Oregon is seeking its first, ever. The two will face off in the first ever college football playoff championship. Interesting note, Ohio State and Oregon met in the first ever college basketball playoff championship as well.
Ohio State is led by its third string quarterback Cardale Jones who openly questions why college football players have to go to class when they are there to play football. Great question.
Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariotta leads the Ducks. He’s from Hawaii and started only year in high school.
A third string quarterback vs. a one-year starter in high school. See kids, anything is possible!
And so is you watching all five of these games if you follow my fool-proof plan to fan the flames of your relationship AND watch all five games this weekend.
Good luck.
And Godspeed.
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Wai Sallas is not a licensed marriage counselor. He is merely a man. A man who loves football. A man who loves football and his wife. A man who loves football, his wife and his son. Not in that order.
Photo Credit: Juliette Schirru/Flickr
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