So I’m sure you all watched the big game between Seattle and Denver. We all have our opinions about the game, the commercials, the half time show, etc. But now that the dust has cleared on another NFL season the die-hard football such as me is left sitting and pondering about what to do on Sundays from now until September when the new season kicks off. It’s a dreadful scenario we die-hards fear each year once the clock on the Super Bowl strikes zero. What to do now with those Sundays.
I’m sure a lot of wives/girlfriends/mothers around the country are ecstatic once that Super Bowl ends. The “honey do” lists for men all over the country sure got longer and more detailed Sunday Night into Monday morning. Our other halves know the time has come for them to get vengeance on us football fans. It’s like music to their ears when that broadcasts closes and they say “see you next season”. All of a sudden your Sunday schedule just got packed with trips to church, activities for your children and family time, as well as time to make those home improvements.
But I’m here to tell you, the die hard-football fan, that your Sunday doesn’t have to end up that way. Sure deep down we have an empty feeling inside as we no longer are eating pizza/wings all day in our man caves watching football from morning till night on Sundays with friends. Sure our Monday nights and Thursday nights just became a lot less exciting. What are we to do without the excitement and joy of checking those fantasy football lineups? Fellas, you’re in luck because we live in a time where plenty of sporting events are available to fill your plate on Sundays from now until the return of the NFL in September.
First off, the NHL is heating up and now is absolutely the best time to jump in if you haven’t been following since the season started back in October. Our home town Flyers, who had a dreadful start to the point they actually replaced coaches, are now in fact in the playoff race. Every point matters as we head down the home stretch of the season. I always tell football fans if you’re looking for a sport to fill your football appetite the natural sport to transition to would be hockey. It has non-stop action, its physical, and it has intense rivalries all comparable to any NFL game you watched. Also this season hockey fans are treated to a bonus as the NHL’s best are set to participate in the Olympic hockey tournament in the Sochi Olympics. If you didn’t watch the last tournament 4 years ago in Vancouver you missed one of the most exciting tournaments in any sport ever. Canada ended up winning the gold over the United States on an overtime goal. I highly suggest filling some of your Sunday with some NHL/Olympic action over the next few weeks if you still have the football appetite to feed.
The NBA and College Basketball are also heating up this time of year. Sure our hometown 76ers aren’t exactly the greatest team to watch these days but plenty of other action exists if you want to give hoops a try to fill your Sundays. The NBA season will offer plenty of excitement over the next few months as teams jockey for playoff positioning and before you know it the NCAA will be taking center stage for March Madness. That college basketball tournament bracket might just give you that fantasy football quench you’ve been looking for since the conclusion of the NFL season.
This month baseball’s spring training will begin which means warm weather, and no snow right around the corner. Sure the Phillies aren’t looking too promising this season as they’ve been signing nothing but older/washed up players during the off season but hey baseball means warm weather and one step closer to football again. If the crack of the bat and pop of the glove is something that intrigues you as a football fan it might be time to start reading up on previews for the upcoming seasons. Sure baseball doesn’t offer the non-stop action of the NFL, NBA, or NHL but if you like strategy than baseball will be the sport for you during the NFL off season.
Last but not least remember 2014 marks the return of the World Cup in Brazil this coming June. Sure soccer doesn’t offer the physical violence that accompanies the NFL and NHL on a regular basis but if you want non-stop action and some of the best athletes in the world than you need to tune in to watch. As a special bonus for us Greeks in the Philly area our motherland qualified for the event. Greece actually placed in a group that many believe they can advance out of which gives us Greeks some hope going into this year’s tournament. For those out there that are critical of soccer the one gripe I always hear is the scoring just isn’t enough. Well I tell you to look past the lack of offense and read up on the World Cup because for those of you that aren’t aware this is the premier sporting event in the world and it only comes around once every 4 years.
With the conclusion of World Cup coming at the end of June/early July NFL fans will be gearing up once again for another exciting season as training camps will open up in late July. Before you know it it’ll be time to start studying up on whom to select during those fantasy drafts and circling the calendar to make sure you’re available to watch your favorite team compete for that ever elusive Lombardi Trophy.
So with that said Football fans it’s not all that bad right now. Sure you might need to take a few trips to home depot, church, and homes of family/friends on Sundays to fill your time along with these other alternative sports I’ve listed above but before you know it’ll be back in our man caves enjoying that great American sport we call football.