I don't want you to think I don't appreciate the importance of football in my own life. Back in the late 60s and early 70s I spent most of my time overseas in places that had very little football. When I got back to the US I found that I'd pretty much lost the habit of following the game closely but still watched occasionally.
I also discovered that something called Monday Night Football had been invented - a night when guys were glued to the screen, often in some bar or another, and the ladies in those establishments were bored to tears and more than willing to "chat up" a young reptile such as myself.
I took stock of my choices - male bonding with a bunch of drunk fools screaming without effect at a television screen or spending some often "profitable" time with lovely ladies who were otherwise ignored. It was a no brainer (and for you Texans who still don't understand, "no brainer" means the time with the ladies won - no contest).
