Thank goodness for other sports right? Imagine if football was the only exciting sport on the planet. With the unfortunate NFL lockout we won't be seeing much of America's sport, if any. As a result, I won't be able to watch America's team either. When I say "America's team", I mean the real America's team, not the Green Bay Packers. I give all the credit in the world to the Packers for winning Super Bowl XLV last season; they played tremendously and defied all odds. But the Dallas Cowboys will always be America's team. There are Cowboys fans all over the country and the fact that if you went to Washington, D.C. you'd run into just as many Cowboys fans as you would Redskins fans, that is what makes them America's team. I am proud to be a Cowboys fan and no matter what, I always will be. I know I'm not the only one disappointed that there will be a lockout on the 2011-2012 season and that I probably won't be able to watch my favorite team play. That being said, there are plenty of other sports that I'll be watching to make up for the inevitable boredom that will come along with no Sunday or Monday football. For any of you looking for something to fill that void, hopefully this article will help.
Hockey
The National Hockey League is gaining a larger and larger fan base every year with superstar players like Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. If you don't recognize either of those names then you don't spend much time watching ESPN. They are one of the biggest individual rivalries in all of sports and are definitely one of the most exciting to watch. It can be difficult for newcomers to get into this sport because it is played at a very high speed but trust me, if you take some time to learn the rules and actually sit down and watch an entire game or two, you will not be disappointed. There is quickness, agility, intelligence and physicality. It's the only major team sport where fighting is actually allowed! I have yet to meet someone who understood the game and learned to watch it, say that they did not like the sport. The season ends in June but starts again in October so if there is any sport that can replace football during the fall and winter months, it's hockey.
Baseball
America's pastime. Unfortunately, there isn't much baseball being played in the fall as it is a spring and summer sport but for at least one or two months in which the football season would be played, you will catch the most exciting part of baseball: the Major League Baseball postseason. There are so many games played in baseball (162 regular season games to be exact) that it's hard for some people to sit down and watch every game. For some people the game is a little too slow so it's hard to even get through one nine inning game. The postseason is an entirely different story. Every game means something and every game is exciting. You see only the best players. It's like the players step up and play at an entirely different level when the postseason arrives. Every team is fighting for life, fighting for their chance to win it all. It's like that with any sport so if you can appreciate that, then you will definitely enjoy the MLB postseason. Every game will have you at the edge of your seat, I promise.
Basketball
Every year the National Basketball Association season kicks off in October. That means for the entire fall, winter and spring you can watch LeBron James, Kobe Bryant or whoever your favorite player is, tear it up on the basketball court. There are so many dynamic players in the league who can change a ballgame in an instant. That alone gives every game the potential to be exhilarating. Take away the dunks and fancy moves and you still have hard working players that tough it out every game and show a level of intensity that will keep you interested the entire time.
As you can see, there are plenty of other sports out there that can fill the void of not having an NFL season. The thought of not being able to watch football next season may have you feeling empty inside and it may even cause a lot of people to take up other hobbies, but if you are an avid sports fan like me, not all is lost. Since I'll be watching all of these sports and more, I can definitely say that I will not be bored come Sundays. Can you?
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