The idea for this site came in 2021, when the Cincinnati Bengals were making their way through the playoffs on the way their Super Bowl appearance.
I lived in a house with a number of people in college during the COVID-19 pandemic, and there were 4 groups of people: those who were Vikings fans, those who didn't care for football but sometimes watched for the camaraderie when everything was shut down, a Bengals fan from Kentucky, and one lowly Packers fan who week in and week out had to combat friendly mudslinging from the aforementioned Vikings fans.
With the Packers and Bengals performing well that season, I enjoyed talking football with the Bengals fan as there isn't really a rivalry. I'm a huge nerd on NFL history and was rooting for the Bengals to go all the way, in the event the Packers couldn't (spoiler alert: they didn't).
After the Wild Card game, where the Bengals beat the Raiders, I chatted him up and shared my excitement with the Bengals fan. While he was excited, he was more hesitant about the Bengals chances. At some point in the conversation, I said, "Hey man, some times you gotta hope for the best." He replied, "I can't get my hopes up. Hope is dangerous".
A month later, the Bengals went down in the Super Bowl to the Los Angeles Rams. Even though the Bengals couldn't go all the way, the words "Hope is dangerous" stuck with me for two years. Yeah, hope is dangerous, but so what? Hope Dangerously.
Started in 2023, Hope Dangerously is a sports blogging website focusing on the NFL and various things football related. Hoping Dangerously is the idea that, as a fan through thick and thin, no matter what the odds are, you'll always root for your team deep down and hoping for the best for them. Sometimes you get a ring in your lifetime, sometimes you grow up in a dynasty, and sometimes you can't make the playoffs consistently. No matter what, this site is dedicated to those who support the teams and cities they love, no matter how bad it gets.
Today, the website focuses on two major topics: the NFL and the ANFL.
Our NFL tab lists our weekly predictions, weekly recaps, and occasional blog posts on various topics. We're looking to focus on the positive things in football, whether its about the teams, players, or fan-bases. While the owner of the site is a life-long Packers fan, he does his best to take an unbiased opinion when writing about all NFL teams. In fact, he's close friends with Vikings, Bengals, and Bills fans and family with Broncos, 49ers, Commanders, Seahawks, and a Buccaneers-turned-Lions' fans!
Our ANFL tab focuses on a fan-project based on a re-simulated version of NFL history using Zen GM's Football GM game. It's a free-to-play, graphically stripped down but very intricate and complex football simulation game you can play from the comfort of your web browser (once you play your first game, you'll be able to play without any wifi!). I've played this game since 2019 and I've loved watching seasons play out - this is just a neat way of showing how the NFL's history might have gone in a different universe. All games are recorded and commentated in one session, with videos being put on our YouTube channel.
If this works out, fantastic! If not, a football fan poured hours into a passion project with no guarantee of success. But hey, one can hope, right?
Hope you enjoy!
Social Media
Weekly Newsletter: Hope Dangerously
Twitter: @HopeDangerously
YouTube: Hope Dangerously
