By Julie Buehler

You know that awkward feeling when two or three of your buddies share an inside joke and you’re on the outside of it?

You grin to one side, looking away. Kinda act like you get it and try to act like you’re not disappointed that someone didn’t let you in on it. And then you try to ignore the slight and find something new to talk about.

That’s how a LOT of women, and some guys, feel about football.
They might get why some people are fans, they might understand the rituals surrounding every week’s games, they might even sorta enjoy the weekly Bar-B-Q, but there’s just something that makes them feel like an outsider.

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Well, that’s changing THIS Thursday, January 28th.

The Ritz-Carlton has teamed up with Jessup Auto Plaza and Shelter From The Storm to offer Football 101: For The Ladies, hosted by me. Your favorite football nut.

Super Bowl 50 will provide us with a fantastic backdrop to understand how the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos navigated their respective conferences and reached the Golden Anniversary of the Big Game.

You’ll learn what the first “Super Bowl” looked like and how much it’s changed!

You’ll learn why some teams succeed while others flop.

You’ll learn what made Peyton Manning so good in the past and why he’s struggled more recently.

I’ll explain how to watch for the big plays that make the room erupt and sometimes leave people wondering what they missed.

In Football 101, you won’t be on your way to becoming an NFL head coach, you’ll be on your way to really enjoying an NFL game from your couch!

You don’t need to break down a coverage scheme or understand the layers of chess each play can offer to enjoy the game!

In Football 101, you’ll learn the lingo. Why a linebacker is called a linebacker, who some of the greats are and how YOU can use that information to impress anyone at a Super Bowl party.

You’ll finally get a seat at the table to be comfortable with the loud-mouth sports fans thanks to some key facts, stats and concepts I’ve learned in more than a decade of sports journalism and 2 decades of studying sports.

And you’ll understand the brilliant architecture of the game of football, the artistry and the gracefulness of America’s most popular game.

And if you’re already a football fan, I guarantee you’ll learn more about the game you love and understand why it’s replaced baseball as our nation’s pastime and where the game is going.

We’ll discuss the virtues of the game, the fun of it, the myths and realities.

Plus, we’ll be raising money for Shelter From The Storm, the valley’s only domestic violence shelter. Talk about a win-win.

So while you’re looking for something to do Thursday night, make your first stop The Ritz Carlton between 5:30-6:30 where refreshments will be provided with your $25 admission. And then from 6:30-7:30 we’ll be covering Football 101 and enjoying a candid conversation with NFL Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk and other football players who will share their experiences and pull back the veil of the sport.

This is your chance to be on the inside of the NFL in a way few get to see and do so in a fun environment!

Tickets are still available (for now). You can get them online, or just come to the Ritz and ask for Football 101.

See you Thursday!

WHAT: FOOTBALL 101: FOR THE LADIES (but guys can come too)

WHEN: THURSDAY JAN 28TH, 5:30-7:30

WHERE: THE RITZ-CARLTON, RANCHO MIRAGE

WHY: LEARN THE GAME, COMBAT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Julie Buehler hosted the Coachella Valley’s most popular sports talk radio show, “Buehler’s Day Off” every day for 3 years, but now she can be exclusively seen on KMIR sharing the coolest stories in sports and heard on 103.9 FM ESPN from 6-7 pm nightly. She’s an avid gym rat, slightly sarcastic and more likely to recite Steve Young’s career passing stats than American Idol winners. Tune in to KMIR’s nightly news or KMIR.com for her sports reports.