5 Sports I Can't Live Without

Well, there really are more than five…but for the sake of brevity and a less than novel-sized post, I thought I would just cover five. In no particular order, here are five sports I cannot possibly live without:

1. American Football: NFL, minor league, women’s, NCAA, you name it – I gotta have it! If you’ve ever been so fortunate as to be on the sidelines of a football game it is one of the most exciting things you will ever do. Equally exciting is getting sweet seats at an NFL game. I remember the first time I went to Raymond James Stadium when I was in college – I got goose bumps every time they fired the cannons (yeah, I know…I’m a dork). Last December when I went to Candlestick Park – also an amazing game as it was Bryant Young’s last home appearance with the team before he retired. Even better, many years ago I was in Washington, DC and was lucky enough to see the 49ers visit the Redskins – when Steve Young and Jerry Rice were still on the team. Ah, so many great football memories…like when we had two teams in Los Angeles...

2. Soccer: Futbol, Futebol, Football. I love it all! Watching the Premier League is absolutely riveting. Just this last season, watching Manchester United pull out the Champions League victory in penalty kicks was amazing. Olympic Soccer, the World Cup, Street Soccer, and the Homeless World Cup…I just can’t get enough of it.

3. Golf: Yeah, I enjoy watching LPGA and PGA golf but playing is my real joy. I’ve really started to make some serious breakthroughs in my game and am on my way to a very nice handicap. I’m fortunate to live in an area that has some of the hottest courses on the planet, world-class instructors, and weather that allows me to play year-round.

4. Baseball: Specifically, I cannot live without Vin Scully and Dodgers baseball. If the rumors are true and he only calls the home games next year it will be a very sad thing. As everyone is saying though, half a year of Vin is better than a full year of anyone else. Yeah, Jeff Kent, deal with it – we love Vin. I have many happy childhood memories with his voice in the background as does every kid who grew up here. He can say whatever he wants…I can do without you and your comments! Ahem, anyhoo…enough of that rant…Chavez Ravine is the happiest place on Earth as far as I’m concerned…

5. Board Sports: Skate, Surf, Ski…I love following, watching, and – more importantly – doing! There’s nothing like being out in the water or barreling down a mountain. If you haven’t tried it then you wouldn’t understand. I still remember nearly drowning in the Pacific as a kid...okay that sounds worse than it really is...

What are some sports that you can’t live without?