You started dating each other after a well-timed wink on Free and Single and things are going great. Then suddenly, they have a little less spare time on their hands. Maybe you call them one evening and hear whooping and cheering in the background of the phone call. Maybe you bump into them in town and catch them in a brightly coloured polyester team shirt.
However you discover their allegiance to sport there is one thing that, stereotypically, you will start worrying about.
Do they like their sport more than they like me?
Now, here is where you have to get sensible. Realise that the sport means something to them, regardless of whether you understand why. As an important aspect of their life, you cannot hope to supersede it, and nor should you wish to.
Be mature about it – they have their hobby, you have yours. If you don’t have one, put in some serious consideration to finding one as doing so will make you a more interesting and well-rounded person.
Spend some time trying to understand the sport – you may even find that you get swept up in the excitement of it all and really come to enjoy it yourself. Wouldn’t that be neat as a couple activity?
If you find that nothing on earth could persuade you to spend more of your precious life minutes dwindling away into touchdowns, pit stops and goals, accept you don’t like it and leave your partner to it. There is no basis here to prevent them from getting their fix.
Remember, true love is about accepting all parts of a person – their bright points and their flaws. If you perceive an unconditional adoration of the New York Giants as a flaw you can’t ever come to find endearing…well, the relationship is not going to work. Simple as.