Three years ago I jumped into watching The Bachelor as a joke for something to write about.  I would watch each episode and then recap the show from my perspective.  It was a fun way to interact with people and fans of The Bachelor.  I never really followed the show too much after but I did watch some episodes of The Bachelorette. On the other hand, I did watch Bachelor In Paradise- that show is crazy.

I know there are plenty of guys out there that say, "I won't ever watch that crap!" or "If you watch that show, you need to turn in your man card!" (by the way, if you use "man card" or "man cave" in your vocabulary, please just stop) but why not just give it a chance.  The first episode is always one of the best of the season and it premieres this Monday night on ABC.  Also, I realize that the NCAA College Football Playoffs are on Monday night so just DVR it and promise to watch it with your favorite The Bachelor fan.  Here are 5 reasons to watch this season:

  1. Colton Underwood is a former NFL tight end and is a midwest guy.  Colton was signed, by the San Diego Chargers, as an undrafted free agent in 2014.  He never made it past the practice squad for the Chargers, the Philadelphia Eagles or the Oakland Raiders.  Injuries forced him to retire.  Colton grew up in Washington, Illinois and played football at Illinois State University.  Colton has his own philanthropy project called Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation, which raises money for cystic fibrosis research and medical equipment. Colton was cast on Season 14 of The Bachelorette and Season 5 of Bachelor In Paradise.  Colton really likes to cry.  I don't know why this is significant but I find it funny that a man will cry on camera over a lady he met six days ago.  Also....
  2. Colton is a virgin.  If you don't think that is a big deal, I agree.  But the producers LOVE this, so do the contestants, and so do the fans.  There has been much speculation about whether his "V Card" was still legit or not by trolls on the internet.  This will be the main story line throughout this season, especially when it comes to the 24 hour fantasy date/sleep over.  There is a Bachelor Drinking Game that you can follow  along with but please add, "Take a drink when someone in the room says, 'There is no way this dude is a virgin!'".
  3. Chris Harrison is the host of the show and HE IS THE MAN.  Chris puts in a full 20 hour work day on the very first episode and then he doesn't do anything for the rest of the season, except for The Final Rose episode and the season reunion 2 part show. Other than that all he has to do is bro out with the Bachelor.  Seriously, this dude has it made.  It is only mandatory that he shows up every episode to say, "You know what this means, right.  There is only one rose left.  You have to make a choice."  Every once in awhile, Chris will sprinkle in a little, "You have some tough decisions to make," or "Do you need a little more time to make your decision?"  Chris got divorced in 2012 and if ABC was really, really smart, they would make him the next The Bachelor.  Ratings would go through the roof for "The Bachelor: Chris & The Cougars".
  4. The Contestants.  Get ready to see some of the craziest things said, weirdest introductions, terrible speculations and false accusations.  Have you ever seen the Saturday Night Live skit where the women bare all and steal the guy for a moment of his time? It is just like that.  Only crazier.  Somehow the producers perfectly put together a mix of the girls next door, the career driven women, the women that are still going strong at last call and then the meanest ladies on the planet.  It is a cross between WWE, MTV The Challenge and Girls Gone Wild.  There is one more reason the contestants are important...
  5. The Bachelor Fantasy Leagues!!! That's right.  Your The Bachelor Super Fan has been listening to you talk about your fantasy football team all season long.  Why not join her and a few of your closest friends and gamble on this train wreck?  There are plenty of different leagues out there for you to join.  Gambling makes everything more interesting!  Did I just mention gambling again?!?  I plan to put out a prop bet sheet for the season to make bets and have fun. Click the link above on "The Contestants" and learn a little about these ladies who did not get quite enough attention from their fathers in their formative years.

I know that a 3 hour premiere is excessive.  I know that a 2 hour show every Monday seems too much.  And I know that there is no reason for a 2 part reunion show.  But, how much time have you put in on the golf course in 2018 or watching football in 2018?

I will be recapping each show on Monday nights after the show right here on www.espn935.com and talking about the show every Tuesday on Don't Hassle Us We're Local.  Plus, I may not watch each show live due family and stuff but I will be live tweeting @JAY_FOS as I watch at night using the hashtag #TheHassler.

Enjoy the season everyone!  I look forward to watching with you and keep the spoiler sites to yourselves, please.

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