She knows that Ted sometimes gets abuse hurled at him from the stands. She's always wondered how players and coaches (and referees...and umpires...) deal with that. She supposes they get used to it. Although in Ted's case his kindness and generosity of spirit must help a lot. Instead of focusing on the insult he focuses on the human being behind the words, a person with passions and wants and needs, someone to be respected and cared for. His reaction to Turner was merely that writ large.

When the game starts Joan leans forward as well to watch. She's done some research into football so that she knows what's happening on the field. It will let her get into the game and cheer for Richmond, which will make sharing this game with Ted (and with Keeley, and Rebecca) all the more fun.