Over the weekend, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning lead his team to victory 20-17 against the San Francisco 49ers in overtime, synching a spot in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. Did lack of sports knowledge keep you from watching the game? Follow some of our tips and you can be a sports-pro in no time. AP Photo/Bill Kostroun.

Super Bowl Sunday. March Madness. The NBA. College football season.

And then, there’s me.

While some girls naturally know and love to talk sports, my background left me sports illiterate.

I played in a powder puff football game once in high school. I was on the dance team, and we played the school’s cheerleaders.

That is my sports resume. Unless you count Zumba.

So other than the times my dad watched Orlando Magic games on the family television, I have lived a pretty sports-less existence.

Most of the time, when a sports game was on and I was in the room, it was like I was sitting in a foreign language class that I didn’t sign up for.

But this fall, I embarked on a mission — I would become a sports fan, and not just a cheerleader who picks out a cute shirt that matches the colors of her boyfriend’s favorite team. I was going to be able to watch and talk sports –- and actually like doing so.

Since the sports industry is a multi-billion dollar business, the topic an entire brand of television networks are dedicated to, and probably one of the most talked about subjects among a variety of people around me, I wanted to learn how to be a part of it.

So here’s what I’ve learned on my journey:

1. You have to know the rules of the game.

If you don’t know the meaning of fourth and goal, you won’t understand why everyone in the room is biting their nails, or chest bumping and high-fiving at the result. So you have to find out. The good news is that learning the rules of football and basketball isn’t really much work. The key is that you don’t need to know every single detail, just the general ideas. I’d suggest going about this in one of three ways. First, just ask –- obviously not in the middle of a heated game. Second, play an intramural sport, or just go watch one. You’ll learn some basics and have fun while doing it. Third, Google it.

2. Understand that sports are total speculation.

I used to think that if I couldn’t remember the number of steals Dwayne Wade had last night I couldn’t talk about sports. But, what I’ve learned is that sports talk is a lot like being a fan of reality TV. When you watch The Real Housewives, you pay attention to storylines, pick your favorite person and predict what will happen next. It’s the same with sports. If you want to talk to someone about sports, try asking a few of these questions: Who do you think is going to win the game? Who on that team should have the ball the most? What do you think of the coach of that team? What’s this team’s storyline this year? These are the keys to sports. Trust me, the sports fans in your life will appreciate getting to share their opinions with you.

3. Finding great resources online is easy.

I found a great sports blog, The Big Lead, that I set as my browser’s home page. That way, every time I went online to check my email or Facebook, I was greeted with sports headlines. I also subscribed to USA TODAY’s daily sports email updates. I can check them out on my phone without committing a bunch of time. The best part? I have found that at work I can actually enter into conversations about sports, allowing me to connect with people I’d never connected with before — including incredible female sports writers, such as Sarah Phillips.

4. Twitter is a sports fan’s best friend.

What’s great about Twitter is that you can follow sports journalists and athletes. I started following J.E. Skeets and Tas Melas, who host The Basketball Jones, a hilarious online basketball show from Canada. I found that a few tweets a day could keep me updated on sports happenings. Many pro athletes also tweet. Following an athlete from your favorite team is almost like getting a backstage pass to a concert.

5. Sports fans can spot a sports-fraud.

The number one thing sports fans have told me about this topic is that they prefer all interest in sports to be genuine. If you are not interested in a game, feel free to do something else you enjoy. Whatever you do, don’t force it. The sports fans in your life will appreciate your genuine interest in a game.

In the end, while I will still wear cute dresses to games and enjoy watching the dance team on the sidelines as much as I ever have. But what I’ve learned is that with a little bit of work, sports can be a lot of fun. And the sports fans in my life appreciate that we have something else in common.

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