Ah, football season has returned. I love what football stands for: pure competition, where victory doesn’t go to the team with the most skill, but with the most perseverance. The tension and drama of the game tick higher and higher as the clock continues to tick down toward that final second.

Football’s life and breath are found in those final moments of the game. A team can be behind by 14 points with only 5 minutes left in the game, and still come up with a victory. In those last moments, every decision counts and perseverance is king. If they succeed, it is the come-back win at the end of the game that everybody talks about, no matter how incredible a touchdown pass earlier in the game may have been. And it’s that last second of the game that has changed the way I watch football forever.

You, see, I am now a 4th-quarter fan. By that, I mean I begin to watch my noon game at about 2:30. That is usually around the end of the 3rd quarter, beginning of the 4th. But that’s not to say that I’ve missed out on any of the excitement. Sure, I miss some athletic catches and some powerful tackles, but these are not the things that make football games great.

Although I enjoy football, the games are terribly long. I have a life to live, and can no longer devote 3 hours a week to following my favorite team through the season — but I can easily watch a single quarter every week. It’s the best of both worlds!

So, if you’ve caught the time management bug and can’t help but feel a little guilty when watching football (but can’t quite turn away), become a 4th-quarter fan. It truly is the finest way to watch football.