Fall practice steals spotlight from London Games
Fans across the country and across the world have been waiting for this. They have endured months of anticipation and now the time is here.
I'm speaking, of course, of fall football practices.
Yes, across the pond in jolly old England, there are sports being played. There are arrows being shot, bicycles being pedaled, water polo ... well, there are people playing water polo. It's an exciting time for those following the Games of the XXX Olympiad. But can the passion of those following the New Zealand rowing squad really rival what they're feeling right now on the plains of Auburn, in the bayou of Louisiana or in downtown Columbia?
The Olympics get a raw deal in the sports calendar, even though there's really only one sport they have to compete with. By the time the torch has been lit, the shine of the All-Star break has worn off Major League Baseball and casual baseball fans are realizing that the regular season still has approximately 285 games to go. The NBA has been reduced to trade rumors and referee-conspiracy theories at this point in the year.
In the midst of this late summer sports drought, the Olympics are weeks of heart-stopping action, games that should be captivating the entire country. And you would definitely be watching if you weren't busy wondering whether your alma mater's offensive line will be solidified by September.
When you put synchronized swimming up against a seven-on-seven scrimmage, the pigskin usually beats the pool. College football strengthens its grip on the republic right as the five rings reappear in the consciousness of sports fans across the country.
The sport gives us what the Olympics just can't. College football fans can take pride in knowing their school landed the top athletes in the country to represent them on the field. No one recruited Michael Phelps to the USA. There are no five-star prospects that had to choose between Israel, Switzerland and Sri Lanka.
College football also has almost no room for error. Fans of the United States can take solace in knowing that, if the country does not medal in fencing, there's always basketball. College football teams are not afforded that luxury. A bad outing does not result in a bronze medal; it takes the team out of the national championship picture.
The college football season also gives fans an opportunity to release a year's worth of aggression with its annual rivalry games. Two countries with a bone to pick with one another can turn into an international incident, but LSU can hate Arkansas the way Cleveland hates LeBron and no one will raise a finger about it. Well, maybe not.
Most importantly, college football allows us all to pick a side. We all cheer for the red, white and blue every four years, but in the meantime, it's nice to be able to engage in friendly competition with one another.
The Gamecocks will open fall camp on Friday. Some of the main competitions in London that day will be badminton, beach volleyball and fencing.
Just in case anyone was wondering.