I love football. I grew up going to RFK Stadium with my dad to watch Joe Theismann, John Riggins and the rest of the Redskins make history in the 80’s. Their name and mascot appall me now, but it doesn’t temper the deep seated passion I have for my team. As a teenager, other girls I knew had posters of Shaun Cassidy or Duran Duran on their walls. I had a poster of the Hogs.

When September rolls around I am always reminded of those games with my dad and the Redskins’ heyday. As an adult I have never enjoyed football season quite as much as I did back then. Until recently. Last year Mike and I were invited by our friends Jim and Kate to join a fantasy football league, and I fell back in love with football. (To be fair, our final-big-purchase-before-the-baby-comes HD TV has helped a little too.) Just a few weeks after Emma was born we won our league’s championship. You can’t even imagine how excited I was - first a baby and now THIS?!?

Like everyone else, our fantasy season started this week. We drafted Tony Romo and Vince Young, Willie Parker and Laurence Maroney, and I even grabbed the Skins’ Santana Moss. Like the Redskins, we will be working hard to recreate the Championships of prior seasons - maybe Mike and I can even get our own little dynasty going. I wonder if we should rename our team The Hogs…

Update: I noted above that I drafted Tony Romo. As I watched his first game of the season tonight, I got upset. Like on the verge of tears. Why? Because he is a Dallas Cowboy. And I am a Redskins fan. When I drafted him I forgot how important it is to like the players on your team — let alone not hate them — since you are going to have root for them all season. It’s in my blood to hate the Cowboys with every fiber of my being, so how the hell can I enjoy my fantasy season if I cry every time he makes a touchdown? Cheering for the Cowboys makes me throw up a little in my mouth. I think I’ll have to figure out a trade, even if I have to beg someone to take him.

Update to the update: Romo got 52 points for me tonight. Ahem. I guess I’ll be hanging on to him for now.