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Are you in a love triangle with a sports fan?

Posted: Sunday, March 18, 2007 8:15 PM by Dateline Editor
Filed Under: , ,

All across the country millions of innocent wives are caught in a love triangle, battling for their husband's attention with the players of their favorite sports teams. Now, in a "Dateline" hidden camera challenge, the wives are fighting back by catching their unknowing husbands on videotape while they watch a game. Josh Mankiewicz travels from coast to coast to report in, "Honey, You're on Hidden Camera," on Sunday, March 18, 7 p.m.

by Julie Cohen, Dateline producer

When we joined with a brave group of wives to put hidden cameras in their living rooms and catch their unknowing husbands on tape, we had no idea what we were going to get. Maybe this is just my girl-perspective, but to me the results show what is so annoying and endearing about the American Male.

There was Dallas Cowboys fan Bob Bragalone, who was really sweet to his wife and kids throughout the game, but was NOT going to get off his recliner to take out the trash. And A Green Bay Packers fan Paul Rice (his wife calls him "husband head"), who expects his wife to keep handing him beers and has the bizarre habit of voicing his complaints through a plastic Halloween skull he calls "Skully" (long story, you really need to watch the show on Sunday).

Then there were the Borg brothers, Minnesota Vikings fans who didn't pay much attention to their wives until the women came into the room wearing Vikings shirts (apparently, a big turn-on). And I definitely will never forget New York Giants fan Jerry Vecchia. He's soooo superstitious, that when the Giants are on a roll, he won't let his wife Sue get off the couch, because it could change their luck.

Check out our video blog, to hear more about how we found the wives to do this, and what happened when we told the husbands what we'd been up to.

(Photo: Julie, left and Josh, right)

Click here to watch video of the show. Does any of this sound familiar? Are you or your husband sports-obsessed? Share your photos and videos here.

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Comments

I've seen some pretty ridiculous behaviour from guys watching a sports game--yelling, screaming. Get a grip--it's just a GAME!

Michael Woerner, Cedar Springs, MI (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 10:52 AM)

It sounds like the woman who donned the tank top is the smart one of the bunch.

mimi upstate,new york (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 10:52 AM)

This is crap! All we want to do is watch our team play thats 3 hours at most a week! Why does it seem your wife doesn't want you attention until the game is on! haha

PantherFan (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 11:02 AM)

"Get naked and sit on me!" Haha...I can't stop laughing...when my wife comes into the room during a game, my sons think she's a jinx for bad things.......she isn't amused!

Frank, Arlington MA. (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 11:05 AM)

this isn't fair! i get YELLED at when i try to talk to my girlfriend during Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, or Lost. and i'm not even gonna mention anything on MTV, cuz that just pisses me off! so god forbid we have 3 hrs a week for us to watch TV 4 months out of the year!!

MIGUEL, HOUSTON, TX (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 11:05 AM)

Someone that tied to a television no matter what they are watching is sad. How about living in the world of real people instead of a little box full of people you don't even know?

Kimi Summers, Grandville, MI (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 11:11 AM)

Me and my wife have a good understanding wheh watching the games, perhaps we both are big freeks of Games (rather any kind of sports) I loved watching Cricket and Foot Ball. My wife use to watch Tennis. Our relationship rocks !!!!!

Sam Peter, New york, NY (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 11:19 AM)

Personally I don't watch a lot of tv, though I like football, and love baseball. I don't watch a lot of it, only now and then. Just have too many other things I would rather do than watch an hour of commercials during a two hour game.

Luke Water, Paradise, California (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 11:21 AM)

I am a woman and I do the same thing. It seems like the only time my boyfriend wants to talk is when the show is on. As soon as the commercials air he shuts up.

Asheley Lee (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 11:25 AM)

Actually ,most football games are on Sunday which IS the Lords day and if America would go back to true worship on Sunday's, football would not be an issue.For God says ...thou should put NO GOD before me. That is what America has done !

Ron Hawks,Kernersville, N.C. (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 11:26 AM)

Hey A.N.S. you got a date this weekend

R2H Rochester, NY (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 11:41 AM)

There is nothing wrong with this. Football and fantasy football have become a way of life. Paul (that Packer fan) is a staff member (username = vincelives) at the fantasy football site I admin at (nflfever2.com) and we are proud to have die hard fans like him. Although we do claim Paul, we had no clue about his relationship with Skully. :)

Trevor Rogoff, Monroe, MI. (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 1:17 PM)

My Fiancee is a huge Bengals fan, I am a huge Browns fan. We watch our respective games in seperate rooms of the house. Saturdays are for Ohio State Football. We drink beer together, yell at the TV together, I'm a lucky lucky man apparently....

Jeremy, Cincinnati, Ohio (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 2:07 PM)

LOVE Sports. Epecially baseball and the red sox. So when its baseball season leave me be, when its football season GO STEELERS leave me be. And the guy in my life is just a huge sports fan I he can relate. I will do just about anything for him while he enjoys his Sundays off watching what he loves the most! Its a compromise. This is why there is soo much divorce females complain WAYYYYYY too much! Im a chick!

LJ Atlanta GA (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 2:22 PM)

Hubby and I have a good balance, I became a race fan because of him and will get even more involved with watching F1, Napcar, most any other racing event than he does. When it comes time for CSI to come on, he knows that he can either sit there and watch it with me or go game on the computer. Balance is good :-)

Weldrwomn (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 3:12 PM)

I hate football and thank god I married a man that likes football but doesn't have to sit and watch it everytime their is a game. He may flip back to see the score but has better things to do than spend all day watching other men chasing and piling onto one another. I would fling a beer at the back of my husbands head if he ever waved a empty beer can at me like the man in this video. He may wear the pants in the family but only because I pick them out for him.

Amy in IOWA (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 3:14 PM)

You have got to be kidding me! It's never only 3 hrs of a week. Let's not forget the pre game show or the post game show, and then there's ESPN for the review of the game he watched and all the other games that were on and he may have missed. My husband and I have been married for 16 yrs, and I respect his need for his time. So now I don't bother or nag him, and he doesn't question or nag me about my purchases. I Love football season! Go Broncos!

Jane Doe, Waldorf MD (Sent Thursday, March 15, 2007 3:20 PM)

What about all the women out there who are just as, if not more, obsessed with their teams? I am a NY Giants fan and my boyfriend is a Philadelphia Eagles fan and during football season it's very hard to get both of us to leave the house when our teams are on. Go Big Blue!!

Amanda, Philadelphia, PA (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 1:17 PM)

Honestly, if this is the biggest problem in your marriage--deal with it. Is he cheating? Out all night? A mooch? Doesn't work? Beats the kids? No? Well, then, learn to accept each other's private time. What if the wife wants to enjoy a nice bubblebath in private. (And yes, I'm a woman.)

J A, Tempe, AZ (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 1:28 PM)

Well my soon to be always complain that i don't listen, or that i'm always on the computer. The problem is she only wants to talk when i'm using the phone, or watching my favorite tv show(especially at the good part)! Like I told her, if she would'nt sleep all morning I would'nt already be on the computer. I don't bother her when she's watching girlfriends or the Proud Family cartoon.

Qmanrocdahous LasVegas (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 1:31 PM)

What the expletives deleted is wrong with you people? If my wife were to put a hidden camera in my house to tape me and than embarass me by showing it on national TV... we would have a bigger problem than my watching football..believe me.

Tim Louisville Kentucky (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 1:39 PM)

I love my husband and he loves his sports. This has been a major focus of stress in our house for the last 6 months or so. I wish I could have had one of those hidden camera's to prove to him that it is a competition between me and ESPN! I CAN NOT get his attention once a game is on. Not even commercial breaks. I actually call our bedroom the Bat Cave while games are on. This goes on all year round. It's always some type of sport he is obsessing over. I think it is a great thing that dateline has done a special on this type of male behavior. Maybe...MAYBE it will open a few eyes and spare some poor unsuspecting woman's emotions down the road.

LeAnn Zeisloft Cygnet, OH (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 1:44 PM)

the difference is with my shows vs. his hockey games... his games are about 3 hrs two to three times a week... greys anatomy is 1 hour, once a week, and only 22 episodes a year.

Dina, Bethpage, NY (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 1:54 PM)

I am a biiiiiig Dallas Cowboys fan and love the game of football. I've been watching football since I was about 5 years old. I am now 44 years old and still a big fan. Win or lose the Cowboys are #1 baby. I just wish football season was a year long sport. We get up sunday morning and start watching the pre-game at 11am and ending around 11:30 pm. And there is Monday Night Football and sometimes Thursdays and on Saturdays when its playoff time. I love it!!!

Janie Anzaldua Brownsville Texas (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 2:01 PM)

When I first was dating my husband he only watched the Bears game on Sundays. Ok, I could live with that. Then over the years they added ESPN, then ESPN1, etc...Now I have a husband & 2 sons that always are watching sports on TV. Baseball, basketball, football, & golf.

Tammy G., Northbrook, IL (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 2:03 PM)

Just three hours on a sunday, hmmm that would be nice, how about every hour after dinner most nights of the week until bedtime and then he wants something from me?! I do most of the cooking and laundry, all of the cleaning, banking, yardwork, accounting for his business and work full-time at my own job. But in every relationship there is a trade off, he's a kind, gentle man, great dad to our three kids and works hard at his job. Best solution, find something else to do while he's watching the tube, it's better than fighting.

Mom in Michigan (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 2:15 PM)

You've got to be kidding me... Tv is fun but nothing, nothing comes before familly and a little pootang. Get real, look outside ... that's life passing you by !

Steff, canada (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 2:15 PM)

My name is Andrea, I am a die heart Duke,Colts,and Saints fan.My boyfriend is a North,Carolina,Eagles,and Saints fan (we live in Louisiana)I'm a Dukie and he hates them and Ifeel the same way about the Tar Heels.Yet when it's game time we know and understand what's about to happen and for the next 2or 3 hour there is a invisable "Do Not Disturb" sign and even the kids know not to bother us. I am really a football fanatic and I think the NFL Network is a God-send.

Andrea Robinson (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 2:22 PM)

I don't mind giving my husband is "downtime" but seriously he is a super sports fan - he watches Lakers, Dodgers, and occasionally a football game, he could sit and watch ANYTHING sports for hours on end! Yes we have a DVR that he refuses to use for games. I on the other hand record ALL My fave shows and wait until naptime or after the kids and he go to bed to watch them! He's not as ridiculous as demanding me to refill his beer but being ignored and seeing your kids ignored when they are only with their dad a few hours a night gets REALLY old after awhile!

That Lady, California (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 2:30 PM)

The real argument is how you spend your quality time. Some people prefer to watch Sports, Sitcoms, Exercising, knitting, whatever it is you need to respect your spouses time as long as it's not harmful. Obviously people need to prioritize their time before sitting and watching football all day but if everything is done than why not. People need to think about how they would feel if their spouse imposed upon their own quality personal time,

chooky (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 2:41 PM)

I wish my husband only wanted to watch the football games. Everyday, every second he is home, all year round, it is sitting on the couch watching TV! He once in a great while will make dinner, other than that he does nothing around the house. I paint, clean,take care of the house in and out as well as the yard, work full time, take care of the kids, take the garbage out, etc. etc. while he watches TV. I can't remember the last time we went out! I wish he was a sports fan that watched TV for a few hours a week without being disturbed! All you sports widows should consider yourselves lucky.

vicki Schaeffer, Portland, Ore (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 3:21 PM)

It would be one thing if it were only 3 hours a week. Let's face it, that's managable. However, when your husband is so addicted, yes I said addicted, to sports that it becomes all he lives and breaths for and spends all day Saturday, all day Sunday, and Monday and Thursday nights watching as many games as possible and updating fantasy football well, then that's the problem. I wish that I had that much time to spend completely absorbed into something and ignore other household responsibilites. Then, you think great the Super Bowl is over and now I have you until August when training starts. WRONG! There's the draft to look forward to watching and since football isn't on, let's watch all the basketball games. Enough already!! I'm going shopping.

Janie, Fort Worth, Texas (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 3:30 PM)

Gotta love the liberal media Men = Bad Women = Good Its just a football game - live with it!

Bill Clinton (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 3:39 PM)

More than likely your spouse watched football before you got married...did you seriously expect it to change?? I'm not a huge TV person, my vice is golf. My fiance knows that 1 evening per week, and 1 weekend morning are going to be spent golfing during the summer...she knows it won't change. She enjoys American Idol, shopping, going to visit her nieces & nephews...I won't ask her to change. If you cannot accept your partner's vices along with his/her virtues...you probably should find a different partner!

RAH, Cincinnati, OH (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 4:26 PM)

My wife is very understanding. She just doesn't like it when I start yelling at the TV. This year as a Vikings fan I had alot to yell at. Most of the time I would rather be hunting or fishing. Our Vikings are just not that much fun to watch.

Wade Kaplan Owatonna MN (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 5:02 PM)

Man it's a nice day over here. I got to get away from this computer and television. Get a life, it's happening all around you.

Fred Garvin (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 5:22 PM)

Wow Amy hate is a very strong word...and by the way do they know how to spell over there in Iowa? Peace and Love everybody!

R-Man, Tucson Arizona (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 5:39 PM)

Not only is my boyfriend stuck on sports day in and day out, but, when Idol comes on, it's even worse. Our family can't breath or move when Idol is on, we're only allowed to speak during commercials. His recliner is warped and raggedy because he never gets out of it. I even told him I thought we had termites, this didn't even get him out of the chair, I don't think he'd even notice if they ate the house down around him.

Shirley Turner Safford, Arizona (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 6:05 PM)

I think it gets kinda boring watching one game after another. I usually watch a game and if the people that I am with want to watch another game I leave. I do love some sports but I can only take so much!! You know what I mean???

Brian Davis, churchville MD (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 6:54 PM)

Let the guys be guys, and go enjoy girl stuff. I love football, my husband watches the Seahawks and I am a Chargers fan. I enjoy making sure he always has a full beer because I know that he takes care of me by bringing me Starbucks in the morning. It feels good to know that my man is enjoying himself and is taken care of properly.

Natasha (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 7:32 PM)

This is so hilarious and pointless. Nobody should be complaining here. Unless you are in an arrainged marraige, grown men (or women) don't just wake up one day with the epiphany that Football Rules! You knew what you were getting into. I'm female, my boyfriend and I like 2 opposing teams in the same division (Bills/Jets) so its extra exciting. Any real football fan knows the smack talking to each other is one of the best parts of football. Get over it.

Amy - Rochester, NY (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 7:54 PM)

It sounds to me like women are missing a perfectly good opportunity overall to connect with men. And guys, this is not one of those mushy stories about being happy dappy, holding hands through football games on the sofa. Life would be horrible without sports. My husband and I are season ticket holders for 2 different local sports teams and I love going to the games and then going home to watch the TiVO of the game and then the replay on SportsCenter. A Sunday isn't a Sunday without Boomer and TJ and Monday isn't Monday unless someone is JackedUp. Where would we be in March without the Madness? It is probably the only time any of us do math without a calculator any more. I don't understand why most women say they hate sports or hate the fact that men love sports. It's a place for women to hit common ground with men especially when, from what I understand, good ones are hard to find. I think it would be a lot easier to coexist if hate and sports weren't used so much in the same sentence. Correct me if I am wrong, fellas, but something tells me you'd rather talk LeBron than Louis Vuitton. Just one catch, you have to get your own beer.

JC, MD (Sent Friday, March 16, 2007 8:42 PM)

If you can't beat 'em join 'em!!That's waht I did.

JM, Chicago, IL (Sent Saturday, March 17, 2007 6:27 PM)

I agree with Amy of Rochester. Men who love sports don't usually hide it. The Dateline story sounds like passive-aggressive behavior that has its roots in something other than sports. What is brave about secretly taping your husband. Hmm, sounds deceptive and says more about her than it does about him.

C, Virginia (Sent Saturday, March 17, 2007 7:31 PM)

Well, it's pretty obvious what most people think of this coming episode of Dateline--it's unfair to the guys to focus negative attention only on them. Many women are also avid sports fans or soap opera fans and don't want to be disturbed while watching their shows. It seems to me Dateline has an obsession with putting men in a negative light. Lighten up on the men, Dateline.

Eugene, Waco, Texas (Sent Saturday, March 17, 2007 9:39 PM)

I won my Fantasy Football league two years ago and bought DirecTV so that I could watch my Steelers in Cleveland every week. My hubby watches his Dolphins in another room every Sunday. And we watch the pre and post games together to support our Fantasy teams. So, football is obviously not an issue. Now, when he gets online and watches porn instead of paying attention to me and our son, that's when I have a problem. Ladies, lighten up on the football. He could be doing way worse things -- trust me!

Lisa A., Cleveland, OH (Sent Sunday, March 18, 2007 10:33 AM)

It's not just the games it's the hours of pregame starting on Thursday, going through the entire morning on game day followed by the games for three days, followed by the after game shows and ananlysis for two days followed by watching reruns of footballl games all year round. What never ceases to amaze me, he really roots for his team and gets mad wathching a game from 10 years ago does he really think that his antics are going to change the games outcome? Hey, if it makes him happy why not, he's a good guy.

Easygoing, Norwalk, CT (Sent Sunday, March 18, 2007 12:55 PM)

I think that the show being aired would be more funny showing how us men get so caught up in the game and don't realize how ridiculous we sound and look, yelling and throwing things at the TV etc. Instead of the ignoring our wives and kids issues. I love my Miami Dolphins and I love my wife! I now have a 3 week old daughter and she will sit on my lap and enjoy the game sporting the colors!! Go Phins!

Jason Hanscom, Virginia Beach, VA (Sent Sunday, March 18, 2007 2:17 PM)

I think there are PLENTY of women who get into football as much as men. Go Titans! Go Vols! The couples in these videos couldn't possibly be from the south! Down here in Nashville, we plan our entire weekends around tailgating, sharing the game experience with other like-minded couples, and watching the games. We spend the rest of the week planning for and preparing for the games! The women in these videos just don't know what they are missing! :-)

footballerina in Nashville (Sent Sunday, March 18, 2007 4:35 PM)

This wasn't the best time to air this. I told my husband about it, he said, "sounds like fun to watch"...but NOOOOOOOOOOO MARCH MADNESS IS ON! I am watching in another room!

Holly Stephens, Rockwall, TX (Sent Sunday, March 18, 2007 7:14 PM)



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