For today’s Roundtable, here’s something we can chat about…what’s your favorite sporting obsession when college football isn’t being played?
I’ll start:
I do watch some college stuff in between, to be sure, and I used to watch baseball until I couldn’t see the Braves anymore, but I do enjoy tuning in to Premier League Football. While I initially thought watching this was like watching paint dry, it wasn’t until I actually started to play soccer in college that I began to realize what a challenging and unique sport the game really is. Something, too, about an entire community coming together, chanting in unison, and, more importantly, no commercials for 45 consecutive minutes…and I eventually got hooked, slowly but surely.
How’s about you…do you have a second passion outside of college football? What is it and why?
Premier League for me too. I took a bunch of quizzes and looked into a few teams and decided to start following Liverpool in 2015. At the time they seemed a good fit for a Georgia fan. A championship history in the past , but a lot of close l, but no cigar since the last title. I times it well with Jurgen Klopp taking charge. That also lead to rooting for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundisliga. I chose Inter Milan in the Italian league.
I also love college baseball and signed up for ESPN+ years ago when it was cheap so I can watch just about all of the Georgia games. Opening day is Friday!
Damn. I should really proof read these more before I finish my coffee in the morning.
UGA softball. My niece played and I got hooked. The girls play with passion and love the game. Their joy is fun to watch. Fast paced as well.
Same deal. I grew up playing baseball, and my daughter played through school. Really got into it during that time. Also watch a lot of baseball, big golf events, F1, and CFB replays from my DVR.
“ Something, too, about an entire community coming together, chanting in unison”
Agree that this part is really cool. That said, I went to a Bayern Munich game a few years ago and a full supporters section doing the same thing in German is surprisingly unnerving. It calls to mind videos that I’ve seen from the past at some point
For me…just about all of it. I dabble in college basketball but firing up for baseball season (everything from my kid to HS to the pros). Auto racing gets going as well…NASCAR, F1, and IMSA are my main series. Plus any time the Olympics are in (we went in ‘24), but I don’t do the sports that have a heavy subjective judging component like figure skating or gymnastics.
PS, got tickets to Spain/Saudi Arabia in June over the weekend, so get to knock the World Cup off the bucket list this year.
Forgot to mention wrestling. It’s the one time I’ll ever be anything remotely resembling a Big Ten supremacist. Friday nights are awesome this time of year and the NCAAs are better than the basketball tournament.
You can’t get out of a figure four leg lock! I quit watching when they banned Stan “the man” Stasiak’s heart punch.
/s
That ain’t wrestling you’re watching. That’s wrasslin. As the late great Lewis Grizzard said, “Wrestling is in the Olympics. Wrasslin is on late Saturday night.”
Although the Atlanta United have had bad seasons recently their matches are the most fun to attend of all the Atlanta sports franchises.
Nude female volleyball…#GurlsRule!!
Explain the volleyball part better
The PGA Tour is my offseason sport of choice with some Carolina Hurricanes when I find them on TV. When tees go in the ground at Augusta National, it’s the only feeling close to walking in Sanford Stadium for the first time every fall. I need to find a client who wants to go this year … it’s been a couple of years away.
There are only 2 possible answers…
1. Arsenal
2. Club Brugge
Have you ever been to Emirates Stadium?
The Masters goes without saying, but that only fills a few days
Even though MLB is trying to destroy the game as hard as the NCAA is trying to destroy CFB, I still love watching the game. I catch the Diamond Dawgs on TV when I can.
2nd to MLB is any motorsports
I was at one time a big basketball fan, but they HAVE succeeded in turning a once great game into a comedy show.
When it comes to EPL I’m a Gunners fan.
Track and field, I competed in high school and still watch it whenever I can. We got tickets to one of the sessions at the ‘ 96 Olympics hand had a blast. My son started competitive swimming at six years old and was an all state swimmer in high school so I’ve probably watched more of that sport than any other for the past few years.
After watching the Ted Lasso Show, I reached out to the the British Bulldawg Twitter guy for a recommendation for what club to support and he recommended Manchester United – they’re red & black and sing Glory, Glory. Then United came out with a kit honoring the Stone Roses that looks like the album cover so I’m all in. A friend has a daughter with a British boyfriend and he said I was a “Proper Yank” for it but tries to get me to side for Everton. I’ll be all-in on Wrexham if they jump up, though. A purdy Georgia Girl I know looks quite fetching in her Wrexham scarf, so I’m on that bandwagon. Note to self: see if Buccee’s does scarves. Futbol set pieces and the occasional score are enough TV background noise for when I study post workout on Saturdays. The Hoop & Diamond Dawgs just end up irritating me so I go down the futbol path to pass time.
I think for most people around here the Braves go with out saying, the other thing for me is F1. I’ve lost interest in NASCAR and prefer the way F1 does things.
We finally have an AMERICAN driver in F1 again. Jak Crawford is the reserve driver for Aston Martin this year. Born in NC but grew up in the Houston area. Finished 2nd in F2 last year. Hopefully he gets a full bite of the apple at some point.
It’d be nice to have an American to pull for again. Get Stroll out and let Crawford have a go at it. (Hard to do when Stroll’s dad owns the team, however.) But damn, the guy never scores and gets beat in Qual and the race by Alonso pretty much ever week.
My son raced against him in karting before Crawford left for Europe (he’s been there since his early teens). Unless he’s changed, he was a really nice kid. Makes it easy to root for him.
That was another missile from Szoboszlai but it was enough!!!
CITY CITY CITY
Wasn’t
For real. City had the most productive final 15 minutes of a match I’ve ever seen. Should’ve finished 3-1, didn’t like all the unnecessary rules crap at the end.
I know, how many of Premier League Official’s beers were SEC Refs holding during that madness. Put that clip up and you’ll get new fans
I’m hit or miss with other sports. I figure one season-long obsession is enough. I do enjoy watching the other sports, though. I’ll follow the Hoop Dawgs, but not close enough to get my heart broken. Masters is a given as mentioned above.
I like Olympics because there’s always some underdog story (not contrived, but actual unexpected) that I enjoy. Last summer Olympics, I found myself mesmerized on a Sunday morning by an American female no one outside the sport had ever heard of, riding the race of her life in the 50k cycling through Paris. She was minutes back in the middle of the race and eventually ran down the two favorites and leaders and won by 30 seconds or more (a huge margin). She was only riding in the race because the actual American slated to ride was sick, so she wanted to represent the team. She wound up with gold.
https://youtu.be/XJse6aLQT8Y?si=-7HW4xdQHqO1nEUW
Speaking of soccer, I watch “Welcome to Wrexham” so I follow them through the show (don’t want spoilers). I can see the attraction. I did go to the World Cup (Belgium vs Netherlands) in the 1994 World Cup in Orlando. It reminded me of college football.
I was just a little off on the race. It was nearly 100 miles and took 4 hours.
Ga softball & baseball. Don’t do pro sports anymore. Just wish they would use another Dawg logo on field & uniforms. That new one looks like a clown! Will watch LPGA and British Open. To me best tournament going!!
I watch the Braves habitually. Other than that, I have casual interests in F1, UFC, playoff hockey (which is damn near a season of its own), and I go down youtube rabbit holes on ultra running. My son just completed his first 50-miler, and now is considering doing a 100K and a 100-miler.
Check out the Mid State Mile. The Last Man Standing races have caught my eye.
I still check the Braves scores after every game, but lost touch with them when TBS no longer carried them. I’ve been in DFW over 20 years now and have become a big Rangers fan.
Many many moons ago I used to run marathons. To be at the finish line and think that I had one 1-3 more marathons to run before I was done is mind boggling. Ultra marathoners are a different breed.
Chelsea in the EPL, and F1 get me through the lean times.
Old favs they ruined: NBA, MLB, PGA, NASCAR, NCAA MBB, WSOP
Current pastimes: F1, Indy, Tennis, Olympics
Nope: Kicky ball, stuff from Australia, T&F
I prefer my own activities in the off season: Golf, Tennis, Skiing, Bridge/Cards
Saturday afternoon Wide World of Sports was the greatest.
I can never watch ski jumping without hearing Jim McKay’s voice in my head “The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat”.
https://youtu.be/CsvvhqpKRQ0?si=lHI9z7T1BNBJSDyK
When it is not college football season, I will watch the NFL playoffs without a rooting interest.
I am an Arsenal fan and watch them about every time they are on a broadcast.
ATLUtd has become a tough watch lately as the team morphed from their initial identity playing a fast offensive style with success to a plodding defensive minded team without the same success. It is not without irony to this Arsenal fan that the manager (Gabriel Heinze) most responsible for this now sits on the Arsenal bench. I do still enjoy going to Utd games.
Also, (even though I was raised Presbyterian) this Irishman follows Celtic religiously in the SPL. The Old Firm is still that true SEC like rivalry.
1. The 4 majors in golf: I don’t leave the couch on Sunday
2. Women’s college softball: love the speed of the game and athleticism.
3. Slippery Stairs on the Ocho! I don’t know, it’s silly fun
I’ve fully invested my college football offseason into Supercross from January through early May, Motocross from late May through the end of August, and the somewhat new SuperMotocross in the month of September. The skill, conditioning and guts it takes to be a top rider is incredible. The race coverage is great (as long as you have Peacock) and it’s the perfect way for me to fill Saturdays. I’ve been able to attend a few events live and it’s a hell of a show.
How they don’t ever seem to land on another rider when they make the jumps is amazing.
It’s IMSA (I go to the rolex24 and petit lemans every year with a group) for me, F1, and I’ll watch nascar while I’m doing other stuff, not the couch sitting experience it used to be.
I’ll watch the PGA, Masters week is awesome, do enjoy the majors.
Maybe I’ll try premier league this year, it would be fun to get into something.
I have never played soccer so I am still in the crowd that feels like watching paint dry is a better alternative than watching European Football. Ugh.