Growing up, I spent a lot of time on weekends watching sports on TV with my dad. This, I'm convinced, played a key role in my interest in and passion for sports, both as a player and spectator.

Upon becoming a parent myself, though, I took a different approach. I thought watching sports on weekends wasn't in my kids' best interest, preferring to do something more active with them. I'd generally tape the games I wanted to watch and would view them that evening.

I've come to realize this was a mistake. I bonded with my dad on those long ago Saturday and Sunday afternoons watching basketball, football, golf and many other sports, and we still enjoy watching sports together. I wanted to see if the same would happen with my kids, and to some degree it has.

I'd still prefer to play sports with my kids than to watch it, but realized there's nothing wrong with watching sports with them. In addition to spending time together, my kids have developed more of an interest in sports and often ask me questions about various aspects of the games we watch.

The highlight came this past Sunday night, when we were heading to a hotel moments before the start of the Green Bay-New York Giants NFC Championship game. When I mentioned kickoff was a few minutes away, both kids were genuinely excited about watching the game. It reminded me of my childhood with my dad, and is an experience I hope to repeat often in the future.