Greatest Time of the Year

While it cannot be denied that the World Series and certainly this year's dramatic playoffs leading up to the fall classic have brought baseball fever to the peak of national enthusiasm, permit me the heresy of suggesting that it is football and not baseball that is truly our national pastime. While the fans of both sports can present passionate arguments for their game as America's number one sport, football is a game that finds its fans at several levels beyond the devotion of fans to their professional teams. Football finds passionate devotees not only at its National Football League games, but also at college games across the land and at countless high schools of every imaginable size.

The nature of football makes it a game that does not allow for competitive play beyond organized high school, college or professional leagues. Indeed, most football players end their careers after high school. A small percentage goes on to play in college, an infinitesimally small percentage play professionally. Unlike baseball or basketball, a pick up league for middle age former football players is generally not possible. But some former players can continue their careers in one of many semi-professional leagues that exist in countless football-crazy communities across America.