If you are one of the sports fans that finds themselves lost during the gap between NFL season and baseball's opening day and don't quite know what to do with yourself in the mean time, I have a suggestion for you: soccer.
It may come as a shock, and if you are like most people in this country, the very word brings up a negative reaction, but bear with me here.
Trust me, I understand where the soccer haters of the world are coming from; I used to be one of them. It is a boring sport, it isn't fast-paced enough, the games are too long and all the players do is dive and feign injuries. I've been there, and it was for those reasons that I avoided the sport like it was the communication arts essay I have to write.
But then a funny thing happened: I actually watched a soccer game.
It helped that my little brother Isaac is a pretty damn good soccer player (are you listening coach Trask?), but I would have to say it really started during my freshman year. My roommate and three of my friends in our house were soccer players in high school, and another was an avid fan from Jordan, bringing the love of soccer that every non-U.S. country in the world has into the equation.
Of course, I started the year playfully ridiculing them for their love of a sport that I had spent so many years looking down on, but slowly they converted me. I would sit in their rooms and watch the MLS or listen to them discuss the merits of the English Premier League or the German Bundesliga. I even gained a team to root for courtesy of that Jordanian comrade: La Liga's FC Barcelona.
I suddenly saw soccer as something other than the mundane vision I had always carried in my mind. I saw it for what the rest of the world sees it as: pretty damn exciting.
I'll use Barcelona as an example. I was drawn to them as a team because watching them play is like watching a finely tuned machine with the precise, beautiful passing they exhibit, the brilliant ball skills, stifling defense and amazing goal scorers like Leo Messi.
The sport that I mocked for years isn't all that different from hockey, my sport of choice, which helped to open my eyes.
And, of course, the World Cup in South Africa helped to seal my status as a new soccer fanatic. There are very few moments in all of sports that have made me stand up and cheer like Landon Donovan's goal against Algeria.
So, for those of you who are looking for something to watch before the Minnesota Twins kick-off their 2011 season in Toronto on April 1, put aside your bias for a second and actually turn on a soccer game. You will be just in time for one of the sports greatest spectacles: The UEFA Champions League tournament.
The elimination round of the Champions League starts today. I, of course, will be tuning into the first leg of Barcelona against Arsenal on Wednesday, but when the 16 best teams in Europe get together, you can easily find another game that better suits you.
When I say the 16 best teams in Europe, I really mean the 16 best teams in the world, so you know it's going to be good.
All of the stars from the World Cup will be there representing their club teams, such as Andrés Iniesta (Barcelona), David Villa (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan), Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) and many more of the world's best players.
One interesting storyline from the first round of the Champions League is the matchup of Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, a rematch of last year's Champions League Final match. Neither team is having the same success they did last year, but it should be a good couple of games nonetheless.
But Bayern-Inter and Barcelona-Arsenal aren't the only compelling matchups in the opening round. Roma-Shakhtar-Donetsk, AC Milan-Tottenham Hotspur, Valencia-Schalke 04, Lyon-Real Madrid, Marseille-Manchester United and Copenhagen-Chelsea highlight a Round of 16 that should be the start of a memorable Champions League season.
So why not give soccer a chance if you're not watching anything else? With one of the sport's most exciting spectacles set to kick-off, it's the perfect time to start getting into the world's game. Trust me, if I can be converted into a soccer fan, you can too.
What opinion do you have of soccer? Pumped for this year's Champions League season? E-mail Ryan at rmevans2@dailycardinal.com
