Feeling the Pain Already?

There's a headline on the front page of Sunday's Baltimore Sun entitled, "Already Missing Football?" and it shows a couple of fans sitting in the seats looking forlorn and completely lost. The article goes on to talk about how football fans in Baltimore are already feeling the effects of the NFL football lockout and how important football is to them and their life. For many fans, it's become a tradition almost as much as Thanksgiving and Christmas. Between tailgate parties leading up to the game, the game itself, and the post game where fans stop off at restaurants, neighborhood bars, etc., for sixteen weeks people in numerous cities throughout the country plan their Sundays around their local team. Sports have become so intertwined with our lives that many can't conceive of weekends without them. I have also observed how the outcome of the game effects the attitude of grown men and women for days after a particular win or loss. On occasion I have made offhand remarks about a game that have led some to avoid speaking to me for days afterwards. People....relax....it's only a game.