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For football fans, the most sacred weekend of the year is coming up. Football season comes every year with the arrival of Labor Day. College football fans across the nation will be planning their partying. You can make entertaining for the sports fans in your life a cinch with these quick and easy plans.

The first step is to get an idea of how many people you may be expected to entertain. While you likely will not have an exact count, you should be able to get a general number. You will need to make sure that you can fit those people - and do not be afraid to cut it off if you cannot - in your home comfortably. Plan to bring in lawn chairs and other seating if need be.

You and your partner should get the television and sound ready the night before. If the television is in a corner, you may want to move it to a more central location in the room. Get this part done and check to be sure it works on Friday evening.

If you have special rules, decide to enforce them beforehand. While you should not be a stickler for the rules during an entertainment gathering, do not let your house get trashed. If no one can wear shoes inside, say that. If you prefer that everyone uses only the downstairs bathroom, make that clear.

Make the clean up for your football-watching buddies - or your partner's football-watching buddies - simple. Put a large trash can with extra bags in a main gathering area. You should get plenty of napkins, plastic utensils, and paper plates. Make sure you purchase drinks in cans so that they can be tossed when they are empty. Do not burden yourself with more than you have to by having ice and drinks in 2-liter bottles. Make the gathering easier, and the day will be smoother.

If you are providing food, then you should consider simple solutions. Chips and dip, bagged popcorn, and even pizza are great choices. They are foods that either come in single servings or your guests can pick up in handfuls. You do not have to worry about serving utensils or cooking. Less work in preparation for the entertaining will make the event far more fun for everyone involved.

Although it should go without saying, be sure to keep an eye on alcohol consumption. If someone is getting really out of hand, cut him or her off. Do not be afraid of the confrontation or "embarrassing" that person. The drunken rampage is embarrassing enough.

Even if you do not stop someone from drinking, do not let anyone drive home if he or she has been drinking too much. Legal issues aside, you are putting lives in danger. You will feel awful, as will everyone else involved, if there is an accident that stems from your party. Instead, offer to let friends stay over or to give them rides home if need be.

Once you have everything taken care of for the party, sit back and relax. And enjoy the game!
by Julia Mercer