With football season kicking off officially this weekend, many women will soon find themselves playing second-fiddle to the remote control and family couch.  “Football widows”, as they are commonly referred to, frequently suffer during the few months of the year devoted to the pigskin.

Here’s a link to a book review of “Putting on the Blitz”, a book published last year that helps women understand the basics of the game.  Suzanna Gagnier, the author of the book, said that her inspiration for the book came when “she was arguing with a guy about which team had the best Super Bowl chances and he responded, “I wish my girlfriend knew as much about football as you do.””

Shirley Anderson writes “Confessions of a Football Widow” a truthful, personal portrayal of living through this trying time.  She writes:

“For starters, put all your sexy lingerie in storage, you’re not going to be needing it. The only way you’ll see any half time action for the next little while is to don a helmet and some really big shoulder pads. Whether you wear anything else or not is up to you, but don’t forget the black stuff under the eyes. Author’s note: some men (or so I hear) insist that the cleats are an essential part of the ensemble.”

Want to fight back but lack direction?  Try beating him at his own game by joining an alternative fantasy league.  The St. Petersburg Times has a great post on some other outlets for women, including the Fantasy Husband League, where “each week, choose from 20 characters, each of whom represents a real-life guy. The husbands respond to a relationship scenario, such as: The last time your wife and mother saw each other, they had a minor disagreement. Your mother now wants to visit for a week, and your wife wants nothing to do with it. How can you make both women in your life happy? You earn points based on your husband’s response, which is scored by two marriage counselors. The winner gets jewelry.”

Better hurry.  It’s almost kickoff.