Football season is over ... now what?

by Reginald Rogers
Paraglide




This time of year brings somewhat of a dilemma for me. Once the final seconds tick off the Super Bowl clock and the confetti is swept off the field, I’m left with the question: what will I do with my Sunday evenings and Monday nights now?

Every July, I can feel the excitement as it builds up when I tune into ESPN and listen to talk of NFL training camps, college football’s fall practices and even the local high school seasons, which kick off each year on Aug. 1.

I am a self-proclaimed football junkie. No, I’m not your proverbial couch potato, chips and dip-eating, beer drinking slob who has made an indentation on his couch by lying around and watching football games all weekend.

I’m quite the opposite. My house is always clean, I prefer to recline on the chaise, and I don’t really care for beer, but drink it occasionally. I don’t like junk food and my sofa is in great shape.
But it’s something about the crispness of the fall air, the roar of the crowd, tailgating, the smell of freshly-cut grass and the sound of leather football pads colliding over a well-manicured field. There’s nothing that compares to seeing the fall foliage as you’re traveling to watch your favorite college team beat the pants off an archrival university.

All that excitement culminates in early February, when the final two football giants clash for world supremacy in an epic battle, known as the Super Bowl. My anxiety is not too bad when college football’s Bowl Championship Series National Championship game ends, because in the back of my mind, I know I still have the NFL to fall back on. But when the Super Bowl ends, I’m at a loss.

Don’t get me wrong, I love basketball, especially the college game. Not so much this year because my beloved Tar Heels have all but self-destructed, but I’m still a fan and supporter and no Dukie is going to take that away. I like watching the National Basketball Association games as well, but the pros don’t seem too hungry to win, until the playoffs roll around. Then they’ll literally fight tooth and nail.

I don’t really follow hockey, although I do like the ‘Canes. Hey, I always support the home teams. I was happy when they won the Stanley Cup a few years ago. It’s great when you’re stationed somewhere else and able to brag when your home team wins the championship, regardless of the sport.

I like watching baseball, but I’m probably the worst baseball player ever. I tried playing baseball once, as a youngster, but immediately became discouraged when opposing pitchers kept beaming me with the ball. This was definitely not my sport.

I often wonder what could have been. Maybe I would have been a great baseball player, had someone “forced” me to stand at the plate and overcome my fear.  It’s funny, but I actually enjoyed colliding with a 225-pound linebacker, but was fearful of a six-pound ball moving at speeds in excess of 60 miles per hour.

As for other sports that are played during the summer months, WNBA basketball, MLS soccer, college baseball, I seldom watch them. I can watch the WNBA occasionally, as there are some dynamic young players who are making their mark on the league. But as for the others, I just keep flipping the channels.

Now there is one sport that I find myself watching every year and that is the Little League World Series. These kids are the real deal. I’m always amazed to see how many Major League Baseball all-stars have played in the LLWS tournament. I guess I like watching the young kids and being able to say I saw them when they were up and coming. This is great to watch.

That usually carries me through July and then the talk begins.

ESPN is usually first to start talking football by telling us what the top draft picks are doing throughout the summer. The network reports on how they’re preparing for the upcoming season, which camps they’ve attended and their latest training regimen.

Same thing applies to college athletes. I was amazed at how local star Xavier Nixon weighed more than 275 pounds in January 2009 as he played in the Army All-American Bowl. He dropped down to about 240 pounds after playing on the school’s basketball team. Here’s the amazing part. After the season was over and he signed a scholarship to the University of Florida, he began summer workouts, which included a strict diet. By the time Nixon reported to Florida for fall drills, he weighed an astonishing 304 pounds. Incredible.

For now, I’m not sure what I’ll do. Perhaps I should start a workout program. Yeah, that’s it. My class reunion is set for Oct. 9 in Scotland County. I think I will see how much weight I can lose before then. That should keep me busy until football season rolls around. Stay tuned.