Okay, here’s the deal:

I’m a baseball fan. Football is there, and it’s interesting, but I love baseball, grew up in a family where it was baseball and hockey, really. (And, in truth, I was always too small to play football, but loved playing baseball, so that’s where my attention went!)

However, two things have recently come to pass – 1) The Lions are having a great season, for the first time in my lifetime, so that’s fun. And B) because of the Lions great season, lots of people are talking about it. Including 11-year old boys.

Well, MY 11-year old boy has been raised with a baseball-fan Dad, so he’s into the Tigers. But now that all his friends at school are raving about football and the Lions all the time, he’s feeling a little left out. “Left out” is an uncool feeling for an 11-year old.

So, I’ve decided that it’s time for a father/son crash-course in NFL Football. (I started with the Hank Williams song, because I WAS “Ready for some football!”, but apparently he made some stupid political comments and the NFL bagged it, so now I’m back at square one.)

My question for all you football fans is: Where’s a good place to start? Got a good book on football we should read? An online resource? Where can I get the scoop on why a Defensive Back is different from a Tight End and why I should care? (Yeah, save the “tight end” jokes, I’m making them in my head already.)

I’d appreciate any thoughts and advice you’ve got. This’ll be a fun project for Max and I to attack together, maybe launch a new fandom into our household, AND give us something to do after the Tigers win the World Series this year.

So, please – leave your ideas and suggestions in the comments below! Thanks!