6 Reasons You Should Treat Your Girlfriend Like Your Favorite Sports Team

Being a massive sports fan in a relationship isn't always easy. In fact, it's a constant battle, if you really think about it.

When one of my team's seasons comes to an end another one begins, and my girlfriend rolls her eyes and throws her arms up to the heavens wondering if it's ever going to end.

I'm sorry, babe, but it will never end. No matter how terribly all my favorite sports teams are performing, whether it be for one season or 10 years straight, I'm never going to give up on them.

And, the minute they're actually back in playoff contention -- see the 2015 New York Mets -- well, you can pretty much expect our lives to revolve around the postseason schedule.

This isn't to say I'm a bad boyfriend. Ask my girlfriend, she'll vouch for me -- right, love? However, when my teams are playing, it's like a switch flips in my head or something. I'm no longer in control.

I know I'm not the only guy who feels this way. So, what's a loyal boyfriend and sports fan to do?

Well, after some deep reflection this spring (aka my girlfriend ranting at me and making a lot of good points) I might just have a way to make things better for you and your girlfriend.

The answer, ironically enough, doesn't have to do with you becoming less of a sports fan, but instead using that fandom in your approach to your relationship.

Get my drift? Don't worry, you will soon.

Here are six reasons you should treat your girlfriend like your favorite sports team.

Always be on time or early to meet your girlfriend.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when it comes to watching your favorite sports team, be it at a bar, a friend's place or in person at a stadium, you're never late. Hell, most of the time, you're unnecessarily early.

If you have plans to hang out with your girlfriend, be it for date night, meeting up with friends or just kicking it at your apartment, take the same approach you would for your sports teams.

Don't just be punctual, be early. It means a lot to women when you're early, because, you know, it shows you actually care.

No matter what the weather, don't cancel plans.

If you have tickets to see your favorite NFL team, neither rain nor sleet nor snow will keep you from attending that game. It could be 30 degrees outside, and you'll be happy as a clam while tailgating.

If the above is true, which we all know it is, then that principle obviously applies for indoor sporting events. Now, just think about all the times you canceled on your woman because the weather wasn't optimal and you didn't feel like making an effort.

Don't let a little drizzle, or even a thunderstorm, deter you from date night.

If you'd sell your soul to go to Game 7, don't cheap out on a date.

When it comes to my girlfriend, I'm trying to find the cheapest, yet most awesome date ideas known to man. "Nah, babe, that place didn't get good reviews," means, "How can anyone charge this much for an entree?"

However, I'd be lying if I said I didn't drop a few hundred bucks on a Rangers playoff ticket last season on a whim. I know, that's terrible.

So, if the Rangers are important enough to splurge on every now and again, I know my girlfriend is, too. After all, the Rangers aren't going to be there for me in the morning, are they?

You support, encourage and forgive your sports teams no matter what, so why wouldn't you treat your girlfriend the same?

Even if your team breaks your heart in the fourth quarter, ninth inning, third period or 90th minute, you're still going to be a fan an hour later. You're going to forgive them for blowing that win, and you're going to scream and cheer for them the next game as if the previous loss didn't even happen.

When your girlfriend messes up, because she's, like, human or something, you should forgive her no matter what. If this is really your partner, you'll support her even if you think she's wrong.

If your sports team, probably a group of guys who don't even know you exist, gets your unwavering support and affection no matter what, doesn't your girlfriend deserve the same?

If you want to watch the game without interruption, shouldn't the time you spend with your girlfriend be distraction-free?

When I watch my sports teams play, I zone out. It's difficult for me to answer my girlfriend's simple questions let alone have a real conversation. I know this irks her, but that's just who I am.

However, this should cut both ways. If I'm on a date with my girlfriend, or spending time with her in any capacity, I shouldn't be on my phone checking scores or have a game on in the background.

If you want to watch your team play and not be interrupted, then you best give your girl the undivided attention she deserves.

If you have no problem making plans with your friends to watch a game, you should be able to commit to hanging out with your girlfriend.

Your friends hit you up on Tuesday to see if you want to watch the big game on Saturday, and you commit yourself instantly.

Your girlfriend asks you to go to dinner next Wednesday with another couple, and you drag your feet like you're being asked to decide which body part you least need.

If this sounds like you, stop it. Approach plans with your girlfriend the same way you would prep for a sporting event. If you can make it to a stadium parking lot at 10 am sharp to tailgate an NFL game, you can definitely commit to a two-hour dinner a week away.