What You Need To Know About Football This Season

NFL Tips and Facts for New Football Fans

Football Season is here! That means Fall weather, cookouts, tailgates and, of course, team rivalries! But for those of you FINE readers who may be new to Football fever, we’ve got a couple of facts and tips about the NFL for you. Whether you just need a refresher on basic NFL facts, or would like to know what team to keep your eye on this season, we’ve got your back!

Your California Team's 

First things first: The National Football League (aka the NFL), has thirty-two national teams, three of which are in California. The NFL is made up of eight divisions, determined by location, rankings, etc. If you are from California and want to represent your state, you can choose from the Chargers, Rams, Raiders or 49ers. The first two are based in Los Angeles, while the latter are in Northern California.

Patriots Take The Win In The 2017 Super Bowl

That being said, there are usually a few teams at this point in the season that start to shine and make moves towards the Super Bowl. Interestingly, there is parity in the league this year; meaning that no team that apart from the rest. With the Patriots taking the win in the 2017 Super Bowl, all eyes are on them to see if they can scrape up a repeat victory. The Falcons, the other team in the Super Bowl last year, are also looking to redeem themselves.

Division AFC West

According to local San Diego NFL Blogger, Gyasi Redding, "Fans should keep an eye on division AFC West this year because there are three teams in this division that could make it to the playoffs.". Teams in this division consist of the Raiders, Chiefs, and Broncos. When asked which team a new football fan should follow, Gyasi laughed, "If you want to bandwagon… the Raiders are doing pretty well this year. But in all honesty, you just have to find a team with players you respect." So don't be afraid to pick a team! Decide by state, lead players, or overall success rates, and start representing!

Los Angeles Chargers 

For San Diegans, the Chargers controversial move up to Los Angeles is a bit of a sore point this season. Thus far they are not doing too well, with 3 losses and no wins. According to statistics, other teams having trouble this year include the Bengals, Chargers, and Panthers. Teams seeming to make a comeback from last year are the Titans, Redskins, Buccaneers, and Texans.

NFL Allows Fair Celebration

Time to celebrate! This year the NFL lifted their previously strict rules on end zone celebrations. It has been a longstanding tradition for players to celebrate a touch down with a signature move or dance. Keep an eye out for more exclamations of joy and triumph, as the NFL is again allowing use of the football as a prop as well as celebrating on the ground, and group demonstrations.

Whether you’re new to the Football family or you're just getting back into it, everyone at FINE magazine wishes you exciting, action-packed season!