Football is officially back! There were a few surprises to opening weekend that included the Dolphins beating the Patriots and the Bills edging the Bears. Those may have been some of the on-field highlights, but I've noticed an off-field trend that seems even more surprising to me:

It's the number of women who are becoming involved in the sport.

According to Scarborough Research, women now represent 45 percent of the overall NFL fan base -- and they make up 33 percent of the NFL viewing audience, according to Nielsen.

I can vividly remember meeting my fiancee and having her telling me that she has a tradition of always watching the Seahawks play and having friends over to relax and snack on Sundays. We attended our first NFL game two years ago and had a blast joining the 12s in a Seahawks victory over the Vikings. It's a true blessing to have a future wife who actually gets into football.

A radio friend, Marissa, who is a huge Seahawks 12 and frequently posts about football, was on it this morning after the Ray Rice video leaked showing the Ravens running back cold-cocking his fiancee (who has since become his wife).

Ray Rice received a two game suspension for dragging his unconscious girlfriend out of a hotel elevator. Now, the whole video "leaked" and it shows him giving her a one and done blast. Not sure why all the footage wasn't released in May and who is responsible for that but they deserve a swift kick where it counts and more for protecting Ray's pathetic ass and career. Hope the Ravens release him and other teams give him the bird.

Maybe I just wasn't aware of the number of women who are into the sport because they enjoy the athleticism and the game itself. I can tell you for a fact that women I've known for a while became instant fans when the Seahawks marched their way to the Super Bowl, and they seem to still be on the bandwagon.

Either way it's good for men all around the state and country. The couple that plays together, stays together and if football and the Seahawks are what do the trick, then keep on winning, Seattle.

I know tonight that our sister station 107.3 KFFM is hosting a ladies-only themed Monday Night Football party at the Orion Theatre in downtown Yakima. We're talking vendors, gifts for the girls and a chance to win a treadmill.

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