As
the 1999 NFL season winds down, I find myself pensive. I will no longer
set my alarm for 9AM Sunday morning and get up to watch the pre-game shows
and then the morning and afternoon games. I will no longer have to scream
at the TV when the receiver drops the pass, the running back fumbles
the hand-off, or the quarterback loses ten yards after being sacked. I no
longer have to wash my football jersey to have it ready for the Sunday
battles royal. My Sundays will be free...maybe that's a good thing! You
should venture out of your Lazy Boy and away from the TV and look into the
world of the NFL online. You'd be surprised at the number of resources for
football fans out there, as well as the advances in technology and
interactivity.
For football on the Web, it all starts at NFL.com,
the king of the football sites. NFL.com
features up to the minute NFL news on all the players, teams, coaches,
and happenings throughout the league. Every team has its own area on the
site. In addition to the news value of the site, it's a virtual
encyclopedia of the NFL filled with standings, stats, films, and images.
You can also get up-to-the-minute game updates while an actual game is
being played
The interactivity of the site is also a lure. There are weekly polls
for users to
participate in, and trivia quizzes, as well as live chats, and Q&A
sessions with players and coaches throughout the season. During games, you
can play along by trying to predict the play called by the team possessing
the ball. Wives and
girlfriends aren't left out here either. There's also an NFL
For Her section.
ESPN also has an excellent football
site. This site is setup similarly to NFL.com,
with many of the same features and information.
Then there's Profootballweekly.com.
One feature I really like here are the "Way We Hear It" rumors.
You can get an inside scoop on some of the rumors making the rounds
related to your favorite teams and players.
CNNSI also
features comprehensive news, coverage, features, stats, and
information.
For
all you ever wanted to know about the ultimate football game, the Super
Bowl, go to Superbowl.com.
Here you'll find information on the upcoming bowl game in Atlanta,
Georgia;
Super Bowl history; a message board; and an online
football game that uses Shockwave.
Don't forget the Bud Bowl,
the beer world's equivalent of the Super Bowl. This annual battle
between Bud and Bud light beer runs during commercial breaks from the
Super Bowl every January.
The NFL Hall of Fame
even has its own site. Here, you can find out more about the NFL Hall of
Fame, its inductees and candidates, and the overall selection process
itself. There are also sections on the History of Pro Football and the
yearly Hall of Fame game.
For those of us who suffer through the off-season and those other
"lesser" sports, there's NFL
Europe, which is growing in popularity as a diversion and proving
ground for some of the NFL's players.
I haven't even mentioned the fantasy football sites out there, where
you are the coach and you coach your own NFL team using the current
season's team and player stats. Fantasy-football.net
even has a $100,000 challenge! CNNSI
has its own fantasy football league as well.
How can you talk about football without talking about office pools and
betting in Vegas? Marathon
Handicapping can help you with picks, predictions, and Vegas
betting lines. To manage your own office football pool, go to The
Football Pool Manager.
If
you're an armchair quarterback like myself, you can pass the time between
seasons with Gameday
for the Playstation and NFL
Fever (whose slogan is "If you're not already single, you
will be") for the PC. Playing these video games is almost like
being on the field yourself--minus the blood, broken bones, and
concussions, that is!
You'd be surprised at the realism of these games, with actual team
rosters, playbooks, player moves, instant replays, great sound effects, and
hard hits. NFL
Fever even gives you the option of updating your game rosters as
the actual team rosters change. Every season it's like having a whole new
game!
All in all, football fans, I guess we don't have to despair now that
January is upon us. We've got the playoffs and the Super Bowl. Though we
do have to wait several months to pre-season, there's plenty out there to
keep us busy and satiate our love of the only sport that matters!
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