It’s September and the smell of pigskin is in the air. Sure, baseball has been a nice change of pace, and the Olympics gave us a meteoric shot of summer sports action, but since February 5^th a big chunk of American sports fans have had only one thing on their mind: opening kickoff of the NFL. Since it’s unlikely that you’ll find yourself planted in the stands at every one of your team’s games this season, it’s crucial that you get the house set up for prime football viewing. From the right TV setup to the best place to stock up on game time snacks, this four-step guide will have you comfortably dialed into all the action from your very own home.

1. The NFL Package: While the TV is important, buying a whole new rig just for the NFL season isn’t a must to enjoy the games. The real key is to make sure you have your existing TV setup so you get a chance to view all of the season’s action. This is especially important if you live in a city outside of your team’s coverage zone. In this case, the only reliable way to catch the games is NFL Sunday Ticket, which is available exclusively on Direct TV. This will save you the trouble of having to lug yourself to the local sports bar every Sunday to watch your team play. Another plus is that you’ll get every game by every team, meaning you can have the added pleasure of being able to watch and cheer against your division rivals.
2. Wi-Fi: Following football simply ain’t what it used to be. If you’re like most avid fans, a fantasy league has you hauling after league wide TD’s and interceptions like a certified storm chaser, and this means having the viewing room setup for Internet is essential. Ensuring a good Wi-Fi signal on your laptop is the bare minimum. If you want to take things to the next level, bring an extra monitor down to the living room and set it up alongside the TV so you can use your new NFL package to stream the Red Zone channel and keep track of every score live. This blows the tiny on-screen score tracker out of the water and you’ll be able to spend halftime chowing down rather than catching up on stats.
3. Stocking Up: Peanuts. Pretzels. Beverages to boot. Most game-day snacks and drinks have two very important things in common: they can be bought in bulk and they have a long shelf life. Rather than wasting time making a weekly trip to the market to restock the shelves, designate some space in the pantry or garage for all the game days’ edibles and do it all at once. Costco or SAM’s Club have great deals on just about everything you could ever want to eat, and buying in bulk will also keep some more of that hard-earned cash in your wallet where it belongs.
4. Time to Recline: It’s an age-old trick. The wife buys an uncomfortable sofa, not just because it looks nice, but because it will keep you from dozing off during cheese and wine parties with the in-laws. Now that football season has started, though, the living room is once again your domain and it’s time to make sure you can enjoy yourself in comfort. Few things beat watching your team in HD from the comfort of an oversized recliner. If you have your wife help you pick one out to match the room, there’s a chance the chair might even be there come opening kickoff next fall.

TIP: Use WD-40® Multi-Use Product to unstick the handle and eliminate squeaking from the old recliner.