Comrades,
One of my favorite leagues is kicking off its season this week and I couldn't be more pumped about it. No, i'm not talking about the NFL (still pumped about that too...), but the English Premier League (EPL)!!!! Many have heard me spread the Gospel of European Football over the past few years. Whether its the World Cup, Euro Cup, The Champions League, or even the Gold Cup this past Spring, you can't say too many negative things about this glorious sport. Do those guys in Spain, France, and Italy flop like 8-year old girls once in a while? Absolutely. Please try and look past it for a moment.
**Disclaimer** Primarily referring to professional sports in this next paragraph...
One of my biggest criticisms of American sports and, to be more specific, American sports fans, is that we say we care, but we really don't. For example, watching fans at a Miami Heat home game is beyond depressing. I've seen people more excited and engaged at Bar Mitzvahs. I've seen "supporters" filing out of a Chicago White Sox game during the 7th inning because they are down by 3 runs...really? In short - true, unwavering fans are hard to come by. We have exceptions out there in the form of Red Sox, Packers, Yankees, Knicks, and Canadians fans (along with just a few others), but for the most part, European and English soccer + Fans put us to shame. You can watch a game which includes the two worst teams in the EPL and you would think its the World Cup Finals.
A quick idea. Those of you who were psyched OUT OF YOUR MIND about the Men's or Women's World Cups these past couple years and swore you were going to become a true soccer fan: Do yourself a serious favor and sit down with a couple of open-minded buddies, crack open a six-pack of Newcastle or Guinness, and enjoy a Manchester City v Arsenal game. Check out the group stage, quarter, or semifinals of the Champions League. Heck, go on YouTube and just type in "Lionel Messi skills." You really can't go wrong. Just a thought because here are your other options in the sports universe:
Pre-season NFL (David Akers did kick a 59-yard fg today...)
14,672 more MLB games, give or take
Golf without Tiger Woods - barf
NBA Lockout
ATP Rogers Cup in Montreal - Yea, that's right. I included a professional tennis reference.
By the way, having Fox Soccer Channel helps complete the aforementioned suggestions, but its really beside the point.
