By Sean McIndoe at
Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images
Football season is over, which means NFL fans are now facing the depressing prospect of going months without their favorite sport. But there’s good news — another professional sports league is perfectly suited to fill that void, and its season just started! I’ve prepared this handy NHL FAQ for football fans in withdrawal, who are wondering what else the sports world might have to offer.
Q: I’m an NFL fan, but the season is over now. Is there anything else I can watch to pass the time for the next few months?
A: You’re in luck! There’s another league that’s still playing right now, and it includes many of the elements of professional football that you know and love!
Q: Sounds interesting. Can you tell me more?
A: Well, it’s called the National Hockey League, and it …
On Friday, as I watched the Orioles and Rangers fight out the wild-card playoff in Arlington, Texas, I was begging for a Baltimore win. The winner would face the New York Yankees in the divisional round, and I am an evil, soulless fan of the corporate Yankees juggernaut. So I pulled hard for the O's, both on Twitter and in real life, and typically received one of two responses:
1. Be careful what you wish for. It's stupid to root for a specific opponent, because you never know how the next series will play out.
2. If you are going to root for an opponent, root for Texas. They suffered a late-season collapse in the AL West, losing the division to Oakland on the last day and spiraling from best team in the American League to desperation wild-card status. Baltimore, meanwhile, is a crazy destiny-blessed team that punched above its weight all season, finishing with a 29-9 record in one-run games and 16 straight wins in extra-innings games.
But here's the thing — I was certain, in a way that most people will find smug, that the Yankees wouldn't lose to the Orioles. They're our little brother. They can't win.
