My Thanksgiving break was definitely a great one. I was struck with an interesting view on things on Friday as I watched my brother’s championship football game, in which he won with his game-winning extra point.

My brother is in the middle, number 18.

I wondered…how did football become so “American?” I know when my mom was growing up it was more baseball. She had two brothers and she always would constantly tell my sisters and me how lucky we were we got to watch more of what we wanted because our family had more girls than boys.

It’s so fascinating to look out at a football stadium, or peek into family rooms on a Sunday afternoon. Families get together for 3+ hours to watch men plow into each other all for the pursuit of a win. Certain towns like Chicago or Baltimore raise their young to be avid Bears or Ravens fans. I myself was raised a Pittsburgh Steelers fan through and through. I began watching games at age 6, when our weekly Social Studies worksheets included a “Gridiron Geography” section, in which we had to answer questions relating to the Steelers. That’s how crazy of a football town we are.

I think football is a great thing, in that it unites us. It gets normally quiet and uninterested people passionate and excited about something. It will always be my favorite sport and I definitely plan to raise my children as Steeler fans, so they can experience a little piece of every Pittsburgh youth’s childhood. Here’s to the all-American sport: football.

Go Vikings!