It’s not easy to hear opposing viewpoints and beliefs that differ from your own while keeping an open mind, but it’s important nonetheless. It takes everybody to create a culture of understanding through civil discourse. Be the change in a conversation. Be the devil’s advocate.

Sports is a journey, and for some fans, that journey is smooth sailing, while for others, it’s complete torture. However, the feeling of watching your team climb out of the gutter back into relevance is a glorious experience. So, whenever you’re watching your team get dusted in the third quarter of a game by what feels like a comical amount of points, try to cling to hope. Remember every dog has its day, and no team can stay bad forever.

As I stuffed my mouth with pizza, Oreos and queso, I realized there was something I enjoyed more than simply eating and watching football (which is pretty hard to top in both Texas and my native state Oklahoma). The game was made so much more enjoyable being in the company of some of my closest friends.