The Long Haul

Well, I think all of us were hoping to avoid it, but it comes every year, and there is really no way to get away from it. As my older brother pointed out, we have officially entered the worst time of the year for sports. The NHL and NBA playoffs have ended, and we are in the middle of the unending baseball season. Don't get me wrong, I love baseball, but it is the only sport going on anymore, and that makes it very tough. Not much baseball is on TV over the course of a week, and it's hard to get excited about regular season games day in and day out. So, I'm going to put together a little list of activities for people to keep themselves from getting bored until baseball nears the end of its season and football starts back up.

1. Watch a movie. It's summertime! Some of the biggest blockbusters of the year are coming out this time of the year. If you haven't seen them yet, get out there and check out "Star Trek" or "The Hangover." Both of them were great. The new Transformers movie will be coming out soon, and several others. If you have already seen all the movies in theaters, get a Netflix account and start watching all those movies you have wanted to see but never got around to going to the theaters. I've got the movie "Hot Rod" coming pretty soon to my house. It's easy as can be, and a great deal.

2. Watch other stuff on TV. Sports are not the only good thing on TV. Check out "Burn Notice" on USA Channel. It just started up its third season, and I think it just might be the best show on TV. There is some kind of TV show or movie playing every night for all people of all ages. There is always something good on TV.

3. READ. I know, it sounds crazy, but do it. There is so much out there to read. Fiction books, Factual books, Magazines, Blogs. Go to a library or a bookstore. Order a subscription of a magazine. Read online columns. I'd recommend Bill Simmons. If you're desperate to keep up with your sports teams, read the blogs of the columnists that cover them during the year. They'll keep you updated on what is going on with the team. How guys are doing, what their injuries are looking like nowadays, etc. You can keep up with your team if you want to, you just have to be willing to complete the archaic task of reading. But hey, I assume you are reading right now, so what's the big deal? You're a pro!

4. Get outside for Pete's sake. Have you emerged from your sports cave in the past few months? If not, get out there, it's beautiful. You can go outside and bring football back early by playing a backyard game, or just do something as simple as catch. Go to a pool and get some swimming in. Whatever you choose to do, just go out because September will be here soon enough and you will be kicking yourself for not taking advantage of the sun and warmth.

Hope this list was helpful. There are many more things to do during this time I am sure. Go ahead and leave a comment. Help out your fellow readers that don't like TV, movies, reading, or the beautiful outdoors.