Life without football is a dull one. The wind blows a little colder knowing Sunday is now just the Lord’s day. Yeah, sure, this is when the NBA starts to get exciting and March Madness is always a shelter from the storm, but my reptilian brain craves the conflict of Football and no amount of Draymond Green falcon punch combos can fill that void.
Baseball doesn’t start in earnest for another few weeks and while I love the sport I don’t pretend to know a great deal about it. Plus, its more regional nature makes following out of market teams a greater challenge. And most importantly the season is, like, way too long. I’m no mental gymnast and my brain simply can’t handle 162 games.
Surprisingly, hockey does nothing for me and I have always felt that its legislated fighting cheapens the game. I love soccer and consider myself a Liverpool fan, but I can only watch those Red Coats run around for so long before I start feeling like Benedict Arnold. I suppose I could start watching reality TV and stop pretending like I’m somehow better than people who obsess over shows like The Bachelor and Survivor (though I absolutely am), but that doesn’t seem likely.
After football and basketball, golf is the best sport to watch. And yes, I see the irony. You’re saying, “He craves football because of the conflict. Yet, he dismisses hockey because there’s too much conflict. But, he loves golf where the only conflict is how much everyone hates Patrick Reed.” All I can say is, “Yea, I know, I’m a puzzle. I don’t get myself either. ” But, when I hear the Masters theme and Jim Nantz’s familiar, friendly voice, I sink into the couch and don’t even consider what else to do with the rest of my day.
In this winter of discontent I need to warm myself with something other than football. Basketball and golf are the clearest choices so much of my focus will be with the Warriors and the larger golf storylines. The rest will be a potpourri of other entertainment topics including movies, TV (not reality), and maybe even some books when I’m feeling especially pretentious. Stay tuned…